Background
The International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), has been officially adopted for use by Member States since 2022. It represents a major advancement in health data classification and terminology standards, offering enhanced clinical detail, digital readiness, and alignment with contemporary medical practice. Complementing this, the Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) is essential for capturing accurate and comparable mortality data. Both ICD-11 and MCCD form the cornerstone of strengthened Health Information Systems (HIS), supporting evidence-based decision-making and enabling effective monitoring of progress towards UHC and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Current Context
DPR Korea continues to advance its national HIS development, having successfully reported to the SCORE for health data global assessment of health data systems and capacities. In line with WHA Resolution 72.15 and SEARO’s regional roadmap, the WHO Country Office, in collaboration with WHO HQ and SEARO, organized a technical webinar to strengthen national capacity in ICD-11 and MCCD implementation.
Content of the Webinar
- Introduction to ICD-11: its structure, benefits, morbidity and mortality coding and integration into HIS.
- Overview of the end-to-end solution for mortality reporting (eMCCD, ICD-11 coding tool, DORIS tool, CoDEdit tool and ANACOD3) and its role in improving the standardization and reporting of mortality data.
- Hands-on exercise on MCCD and the DORIS tool.
- ICD-11 implementation planning with selected country case examples, lessons learnt from country experience to date, and technical support needs.
Participants
A total of 10 national participants from the Ministry of Public Health, National Institute of Public Health Administration, focal points from Pyongyang General Hospital, Academy of Science and Korea Public Health Cooperation Agency attended the session at the Pyongyang Internet Service Center. The WHO Country Office supported logistics in line with WHO standards.
Lessons Learned
- ICD-11 provides a globally standardized, cost-effective framework for health data.
- Accurate MCCD is essential for accurate mortality data reporting and surveillance.
- Harmonized and standards-based indicators are critical for quality health data.
- Ongoing collaboration with WHO enhances technical readiness for HIS modernization.
Way Forward
- Develop a national plan for ICD-11 and MCCD implementation (and a stepwise roadmap of piloting, integration of ICD-11 in software applications, offline deployment of ICD-11 coding tool, gradual scaling-up and a system-wide implementation to ensure routine reporting with ICD-11).
- Conduct regular country wide advocacy and capacity-building workshops on coding and certification.
- Align ICD-11 outputs with SCORE global reporting to strengthen SDG monitoring.
Impact
The webinar marked a significant step in strengthening DPR Korea’s HIS. It enhanced national technical capacity, reinforced evidence-based planning, and aligned the country with global health data standards. The adoption of ICD-11 and the strengthening of MCCD practices will enhance the accuracy and comparability of health data, improve monitoring of mortality and morbidity trends, and support evidence-based planning. Together, they will contribute to better health outcomes, informed decision-making, and accelerated progress towards Universal Health Coverage and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).