Terms and conditions of data transfer from WHO Member States

Data are the basis for all sound public health actions and the benefits of data-sharing are widely recognized, including scientific and public health benefits. Whenever possible, the World Health Organization (WHO) wishes to promote the sharing of health data, including but not restricted to surveillance and epidemiological data.

As used in this data collection tool, the term "Data provider" means a duly authorized representative of the governmental body with authority to release health data of the country to WHO (i.e. the Ministry of Health or other responsible governmental authority). The recipient of this data collection tool is responsible for ensuring that he/she is the Data provider, or for providing this data collection tool to the Data provider.

In this connection, and without prejudice to information sharing and publication pursuant to legally binding instruments, by providing data to WHO, the Data provider:

• confirms that all data to be supplied to WHO (including but not limited to the types listed in Table 1) hereunder have been collected in accordance with applicable national laws, including data protection laws aimed at protecting the confidentiality of identifiable persons;
• agrees that WHO shall be entitled, subject always to measures to ensure the ethical and secure use of the data, and subject always to an appropriate acknowledgement of the country:
  • to publish the data, stripped of any personal identifiers (“the Data”), and make the Data available to any interested party on request on terms that allow non-commercial use;
  • to use, compile, aggregate, evaluate and analyse the Data and publish or disseminate results in line with WHO policies.

Except where data-sharing and publication are required under legally binding instruments (International Health Regulations (2005), WHO Nomenclature Regulations 1967, etc.), the Data provider may in respect of certain data opt out of (any part of) the above, by notifying WHO thereof in writing at the following address, provided that any such notification shall clearly identify the data in question and clearly indicate the scope of the opt-out (in reference to the above), and provided that specific reasons shall be given for the opt-out.