An initiative to enable people in Latin America and the Caribbean to move around the region while continuing to access their health data and services.
The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health (PH4H) aims to ensure that people in the region can always access their health data and services, regardless of which neighborhood, city, or country they are in. The initiative is led by the IDB, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and countries from the region. It promotes interoperability of countries’ health information systems, the protection of personal data, adoption of international standards, and empowerment of people to access and share their health information. It is supported by the governments of Japan and the Spain General Cooperation Fund, and was approved by all countries of the Americas during the 2024 PAHO Directing Council.
The adoption of digital health services is growing across Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, 4 out of 10 people use digital health services, 1 out of 3 report that their healthcare provider offers telehealth, and 1 out of 10 have had a telemedicine consultation. However, health information often remains fragmented across different systems, providers, and even countries, leading to fragmented care, duplicated tests or vaccinations, and missing clinical information for informed decision-making.
The PH4H strengthens national health systems, supports continuity of care within and across countries, enables data-driven decision-making, and enhances regional preparedness for health emergencies and future pandemics.
Health systems “speak the same language” through international standards.
Patient information is available when and where it is needed.
The patient owns their data and decides what information to share, when, and with whom.
Secure, real-time data can be trusted and verified between countries.
Systems are better prepared for health emergencies and pandemics.
The growth of PH4H reflects increasing regional collaboration to advance secure, interoperable digital health systems across Latin America and the Caribbean. This collaborative effort has led to important milestones, including making the region the first in the world to issue digital Yellow Fever vaccination certificates based on World Health Organization standards.
participating countries
partners
regional connectathons
Together with PH4H participating countries, the IDB and PAHO promote use cases of interoperability to strengthen national health systems and their cross-border connection.
Provides key information—allergies, medications, medical history—in a digital format available whenever needed.
Facilitates mobility and prevents duplication in case of loss of the paper certificate.
Enables cross-border electronic prescribing.
PH4H Connectathons bring together countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to test and validate the interoperability of their digital health systems before implementation. Through shared use cases and international interoperability standards, countries strengthen technical capacity, identify implementation challenges, and advance the secure exchange of health information across the region.
Improving equity, quality, and efficiency in health systems and services.
Collaborate with peers to strengthen change management across the health sector.
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