LACPASS - Regional Public Good

The Regional Public Good (RPG) "Digital Health Transformation to Mitigate the Effects of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean" (RG-T3769) or LACPASS project, is a multi-country initiative within the framework of RACSEL (American Network for Cooperation on Electronic Health) and sponsored by the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), which aims to build bridges toward healthcare for all people in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

LACPASS has the following strategic partners: PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) and HL7 (Health Level 7). Other supporting entities: LACChain (Global Alliance for the Development of Blockchain in Latin America and the Caribbean), IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise), and CENS (National Center for Health Information Systems) in its role as organizer. Countries currently participating in this project include: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay.

In its first phase, the project made progress in implementing the digital vaccination certificate for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. As part of this project, participating countries agree on and adopt the international interoperability standards already defined by the EU and those being defined by the WHO, so that their residents can carry a valid digital vaccination document that can be cryptographically verified by anyone who requires it.

LACPASS is beginning its second phase, in which the evolution of COVID certificates toward DDCC will continue and the IPS (International Patient Summary) profile will be strengthened, in order to better equip the region with the tools needed to interoperate in cross-border health.

RACSEL is a collaborative network working to advance regional digital transformation, following the World Health Organization's guidelines for Digital Documentation of COVID-19 (DDCC) and PAHO's strategic plans in the Americas, specifically the roadmap approved by the region's countries in September 2021.