Barbados advances digital health transformation through Public Health Datathon

Bridgetown, Barbados, 2 July 2026 (PAHO/WHO) - The Ministry of Health and Wellness' Surveillance Unit, with support from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), took another important step toward strengthening Barbados' health information systems by hosting a one-day Public Health Datathon focused on improving the integration, exchange and use of health data.

Held at the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, the Datathon brought together health professionals and technical officers from the Surveillance Unit of the Ministry to collaboratively map existing health databases, examine information flows and identify barriers to interoperability. The exercise forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen health data governance and accelerate the country's digital transformation agenda.

The Public Health Datathon is a collaborative data discovery exercise in which participants visually map health databases and information systems, identify relationships between datasets and jointly design improved information flows. The process helps establish a clearer information architecture for the health sector while highlighting opportunities to strengthen data sharing, analysis and decision-making.

Throughout the day, participants representing a range of public health surveillance programmes including syndromic surveillance, respiratory infections, vector-borne diseases, adolescent health, injuries and hospital surveillance, worked together to catalogue existing databases, refine information flows and develop proposed models for a more integrated health information system.

"The Ministry of Health and Wellness produces a lot of data and most of it is in digital form. However, dealing with this digital format still requires manual interventions. This DATA-maraTHON helped in mapping all the surveillance data as a start and will now allow streamlining its management. Small yet incremental efficiency gains are vital steps in digital transformation path of the MHW of Barbados," said Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Interim PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries.

Expected outcomes of the exercise include:

• Improved coordination and collaboration across health programmes and institutions;
• Identification of information gaps and priority data needs;
• Development of a more efficient and integrated health information architecture; and
• Identification of technology solutions to support stronger health information systems and digital transformation.

Following the initial database mapping and information flow exercises, participants presented their findings and proposed improved system architectures designed to enhance interoperability and facilitate more timely and effective use of health information.

The exercise concluded with agreement on a phased implementation approach, beginning with the migration of selected surveillance databases from Excel-based systems to the DHIS2 platform. The transition will commence in the coming weeks, initially focusing on syndromic surveillance and notifiable diseases, laying out the foundation for a more integrated, efficient and sustainable national health information system.