Countries around the world have become increasingly interested in the potential contributions of health information technology (HIT), electronic connectivity and a health information infrastructure to improve healthcare for their citizens and to address pressing challenges from preventative care to pandemics. 

This interest and activity are occurring on six continents throughout the globe: Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.  A select number of countries have tackled better healthcare through HIT at the national level. Overall nations are in the nascent stages of HIT use, funding and development. Many existing collaborations to integrate HIT with the patient care experience are regional in nature, fueled, in part, by private funding.

Click on the lefthand menu for eHI LIGHT continent-specific overviews of HIT, electronic connectivity, and health information infrastructure activity.

These HIT, electronic connectivity, and health information infrastructure initiatives aim to improve:

• Delivery of clinical care and improving quality, safety and efficiency
• Performance of clinical research and measurement of outcomes
• Delivery of training, medical education, and capacity building
• Conduct of public health surveillance, management and response