Introduction from Dr Samira Asma

In Focus: 2022 outlines an exciting shift for the Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact. Over the past year, we have laid the foundations for making WHO a modern data driven organization. As we pivot from strategy to delivery, our focus this year is to intensify support to countries, working closely with our partners, so that every country has improved capacity in robust data systems. Through this we can deliver a measurable impact and get back on track towards WHO’s Triple Billion targets and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

At the 150th session of the Executive Board, Dr Tedros introduced us to his five organizational priorities to:

• Support countries to make an urgent paradigm shift towards promoting health and well-being and preventing disease by addressing its root causes
• Support a radical reorientation of health systems towards primary health care, as the foundation of universal health coverage
• Urgently strengthen the systems and tools for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response at all levels
• Harness the power of science, research innovation, data and digital technologies as critical enablers of the other priorities
• Urgently strengthen WHO as the leading and directing authority on global health, at the centre of the global health architecture

These five priorities and the recent extension of the Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 13) give us the perfect opportunity to reaffirm our pledge to use data to deliver impact in countries. As a Division, we believe that timely, reliable and actionable data, deployed for real change on the ground, is vital. We look forward to rallying everyone to these commitments through an International Conference on Health Statistics in 2023.

In Focus outlines how we are providing data-driven solutions across all WHO regions and intensifying our support in countries by addressing data gaps and using data to accelerate progress through delivery stocktakes. But we could not do this alone. Much of our work is enabled and enhanced by partnerships with other multilateral agencies, civil society, the private sector and other partners.