Several countries use DHIS2 data to produce secure digital certificates for COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results, through integration with external software applications and alignment with national, regional and global standards, including WHO guidelines. On this page you can learn more about some of the solutions developed and shared through the DHIS2 community and HISP network
From Asia to Africa to the Americas, data from DHIS2 is being used to generate secure and verifiable digital documentation of COVID-19 vaccination status or recent test results. While variations in local and regional needs and infrastructure (both technical and regulatory) make it difficult to develop a “one size fits all” solution, the use of DHIS2 COVID-19 metadata packages helps countries ensure that the data they collect is aligned with WHO guidelines, while DHIS2’s open and documented API allow local health authorities to integrate data from DHIS2-based COVID-19 electronic immunization registries into any number of vaccine passport and certificate solutions, including the EU Digital COVID Certificate and DIVOC.
In many countries, HISP groups have played a key role in supporting the development of these local solutions, and have shared their approaches throughout the HISP network, making it possible for any country using DHIS2 Tracker to take build on existing solutions, such as the certificate solution that was initially developed by HISP Vietnam.
The information on this page highlights a selection of DHIS2-based integrations for generating digital certificates. You can learn more about general DHIS2 integration approaches on our Integration and Interoperability page. For support deploying a digital certificate solution, contact your regional HISP group.
DHIS2 has been integrated with the following digital certificate solutions:
Togo is the first country using DHIS2 for COVID Vaccine Delivery to be accepted into the EU Digital COVID Certificate system. Their solution uses the DHIS2 API and an integration developed by Togo’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation. The HISP network is currently working with various countries to produce certificate data based on this standard.
Togo’s vaccine certificate solution has also been accepted into the African Union’s Trusted Vaccines standard for vaccine passports.
Sri Lanka has integrated DHIS2 data with DIVOC, a global public good for vaccine credentialing, to produce secure and verifiable vaccine certificates for national use. Read more about Sri Lanka’s integration of DHIS2 with DIVOC.
HISP groups in several countries, including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Laos, have worked with national health authorities to develop custom solutions for COVID-19 vaccine certificates and testing certificates that meet local needs. Implementation approaches and best practices are shared via the HISP network.
Emerging global guidance on the technical specification and implementation of COVID-19 certificates is informing work at global and country level for strengthening capacity to generate secure, verifiable digital certificates. In order to improve the collection of underlying electronic data required to generate a digital certificate in countries, the DHIS2 COVID-19 Electronic Immunization Registry (EIR) package incorporates the WHO’s recommended core data set for digital documentation of COVID-19 vaccination status.
The certificate solution developed by HISP Vietnam in collaboration with the DHIS2 core team was created by closely following the EU guidelines regarding data encoding and cryptographic algorithms. The EU system has been listed as a compliant system in the most recent WHO guidance. There has been some deviation from the standard in terms of the actual payloads which have been adapted to meet local needs in specific countries. Local adaptation has been necessary where, for example, there are vaccines in use which do not appear on the EU encoded list.
Adopting the EU guidelines means that there is considerable reason to be confident in the cryptographic approach. Also it allows for a relatively easy path towards on-boarding into the EU trust framework if that is what countries wish to do. You can watch a video demonstration of the HISP Vietnam solution below, and read implementation guidance with links to source code and additional resources.
Read the stories below for a few examples of how countries are using DHIS2 to power their digital certificate solutions for COVID-19 response:
Do you have questions about implementing a digital certificate using DHIS2, or a solution you would like to share? Join the discussion in the COVID-19 forum on the DHIS2 Community of Practice.
