Parliamentarians from the Americas and the Pan American Health Organization have discussed the importance of promoting laws for the generation and use of data in response to the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 health emergency, the Health Commissions of the Parliaments of the Americas, together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), have worked to push for digital transformation to become a reality after the pandemic.
Since June 2015, the Health and Population Commission of the Congress of the Republic of Peru agreed with PAHO and the Health Commissions of the Parliaments of the Americas, an annual meeting on the analysis and exchange of experiences on issues of health legislation and public policies. The 2020 meeting was attended by specialists in different topics such as health legislation, infodemia, global health, information systems and digital health.
“The pandemic has had devastating effects on health services and, in particular, on populations in vulnerable situations, however, information and communication technologies present us with an unprecedented opportunity to leave no one behind,” explained Dr. Sebastián García Saisó, director of PAHO's Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Health Action.
Pablo Raúl Yedlin, president of the Social Action and Public Health Commission of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, explained that it is necessary to assimilate technological advances quickly as they produce important challenges for health law. Finally, Dr. Ignacio Ibarra, PAHO advisor on health legislation, highlighted the usefulness of regulatory instruments in accompanying digital transformation processes.
