What we do
The Centre supports the World Health Organization and Member States in the development, implementation, and effective use of the WHO Family of International Classifications and related health information standards. Its work focuses on ensuring that health information is collected, recorded, analysed, and reported in a consistent and meaningful way to support healthcare delivery, public health action, research, and policy development. The Centre contributes technical expertise to the maintenance and advancement of international classification systems, while supporting countries in their adoption and practical application. This includes providing technical assistance, developing implementation resources, facilitating knowledge exchange, capacity building, and strengthening national and regional capacity through education, training, and mentorship. Recognizing the growing importance of digital health, the Centre also promotes the integration of WHO classifications into electronic health records, interoperable information systems, and other digital platforms. Through research, innovation, and international collaboration, the Centre supports the generation of reliable and comparable health information that can be used to monitor population health, guide resource allocation, evaluate health programmes, and inform strategic decision-making at all levels of the health system.
The Family of International Classifications
The Centre develops, maintains and supports the three reference classifications of the WHO-FIC. Select one to read more.
ICD-11 — International Classification of Diseases
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the global standard for classifying diseases, injuries and causes of death, enabling comparable statistics on mortality and morbidity across countries and over time. As both a classification and a terminology system, ICD supports the systematic recording, analysis, interpretation and comparison of health data, and ensures semantic interoperability and re-use of data for clinical decision support, resource allocation, reimbursement and guideline development. ICD-11 was adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019 and became effective in January 2022; it is designed for seamless integration with digital health systems. In Rwanda, ICD-11 has been integrated into the national electronic medical record system (eBuzima) and is used for the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCoD).
ICF — International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a standard language and framework for describing health and health-related states. It classifies functioning and disability associated with health conditions, looking at the body, the individual and society. ICF complements ICD by describing how people live with their health conditions, supporting rehabilitation, disability assessment, social policy and the measurement of functioning across populations.
ICHI — International Classification of Health Interventions
The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) provides a common, shared framework for reporting and analysing health interventions for statistical purposes. It covers interventions on the body, the mind and the environment performed by a wide range of providers across the full spectrum of care, supporting comparison of activity and resource use within and between health systems.
Build classification capacity with us
Explore our training programmes or get in touch to discuss collaboration on the WHO Family of International Classifications.