Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley says the hosting of an Information Systems for Health (IS4H) workshop is timely as his ministry continues to develop the Virgin Islands’ Health Sector.

            Honourable Wheatley was addressing officers from various ministries and departments in the public service who were engaged in a multisector consultation on Information System for Health. The session was hosted by his ministry in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).

Participants also included statutory board members of the IS4H, the BVI Health Services Authority, the National Health Insurance and the Social Security Board engaged.

 Honourable Wheatley said that health and healthcare impacts every sphere of life in the Virgin Islands. He added that the determinants of health are wide and range in every sector from education, planning, policy social services and house.

Honourable Wheatley said, “The health system consists of providers across public health, primary health care, secondary and tertiary health care in the public sector, private sector, and for the Virgin Islands overseas.  The information to measure the performance and impact of the health system resides not only within the health sector but also outside of the system including vital statistics, security sectors, and development sectors.

The principles that PAHO has outlined for Digital Transformation in Health through the IS4H methodology will help to ensure that the Territory’s health systems achieve the following:

1. Universal connectivity so that systems can speak to each other and the right persons can have the right information when and where they need it to make the best decisions for health
2. promote equity in our health care system,
3. accelerate progress towards digital health and the benefits it can bring,
4. implement open, sustainable, and interoperable health information systems,
5. mainstream human rights across all areas of digital transformation
6. participate in global cooperation for health security and improvement
7. ensure confidentiality and security of information in the digital health setting
8. renew and ensure the information required to ensure the public health is readily available to public health practitioners and decision makers

The Ministry of Health and Social Development remains committed to improving the health and social well-being of the people of the Virgin Islands.