As the Director of the National Health Data Centre (NHDC), it is my honour to lead a dynamic and multidisciplinary team committed to harnessing the power of data for better public health outcomes in Pakistan.

Established under the National Institutes of Health (Re-Organization) Act, 2021, the NHDC serves as the central repository of national health data, mandated to collect, analyze, store, and disseminate reliable and timely information to inform health policy, strengthen disease surveillance, and guide strategic decision-making. NHDC operates in close collaboration with the other institutes of NIH, federal and provincial health departments and international development partners to ensure that high-quality, interoperable, and actionable data is available to support evidence-based public health decision making and responses across the country.

Our mission is to provide a seamless, secure, and integrated data ecosystem to make informed policies and decisions for improving health indicators of Pakistan.

Through this work, we aim to:

• Enable data-driven decision-making by transforming raw data into actionable insights that inform national health strategies and program priorities.
• Improve health outcomes by identifying disease trends, forecasting risks, and guiding early public health interventions.
• Foster collaboration across sectors and provinces by sharing standardized data that supports coordinated, multisectoral responses to health challenges.

Key Areas of Focus

• Data Standards and Governance:
  NHDC ensures the implementation of robust governance frameworks to maintain data accuracy, completeness, interoperability, and security. Standardized data collection and reporting protocols are followed in coordination with federal and provincial health departments.
• Server System Housing, Management, and Maintenance:
  NHDC maintains a secure and scalable server infrastructure that houses national public health data, including surveillance, laboratory, and programmatic datasets.
• Data Storage, Security, and Sharing:
  As national health data repository, NHDC is responsible for secure data storage and management with strong cybersecurity protocols. NHDC facilitates responsible data sharing with federal and provincial health departments, and development partners, upholding confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility.
• Support to Public Health Systems through Data Dissemination:
  NHDC actively supports health systems by providing data hosting, analytics, and visualization services. Through timely data dissemination, it strengthens disease early warning, outbreak detection, and evidence-based public health planning at federal and provincial levels.
• Capacity Building in Digital Health Infrastructure:
  NHDC leads capacity-building initiatives for federal and provincial health departments, focusing on digital infrastructure, server management, data storage, and health information systems strengthening.
• Training and Technical Assistance:
  NHDC through workshops train staff from NIH, provincial disease surveillance units, and laboratories to improve data management, information security, system administration, and analytical skills essential for modern health data operations.

Looking Ahead

As Pakistan’s health system advances toward greater digital integration and data-driven governance, the National Health Data Centre remains committed to leading this transformation. NHDC will continue to strengthen its infrastructure, develop innovative data analytics tools, and deepen collaboration with national and provincial partners.

Through these efforts, we aspire to build a resilient, transparent, and evidence-based public health system, capable of anticipating challenges and driving measurable improvements in population health.