Health policy at your fingertips? Mapping and evaluation of existing digital health policy repositories.

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Background Digital repositories and databases facilitate faster dissemination, transparency, and stakeholder collaboration. This review aimed to map and evaluate such digital infrastructures, focusing on their scope, content, functionality, adherence to FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse) principles, and user interface and experiences (UI/UX). Methods A review of global digital health policy repositories was conducted across multiple search engines and databases. The review targeted digital repositories that systematically collate health policy documents at a global level. Two country-specific repositories with a bearing on global health policies were also included. Results The study identified 59 global health policy repositories, with 15 matching our inclusion criteria evaluated in detail. These repositories contain vast amounts of data and are generally freely accessible, rendering them immensely rich sources for health policy documents, though with significant variability in content and coverage. The majority have a health focus, including HIV/AIDS, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); about a third are more broad and emerging health threats are often neglected. Accessibility and usability are limited, with basic user interface features such as search and filtering tools are present for almost all repositories and a notable lack of advanced analytics or artificial intelligence capabilities. Furthermore, many repositories struggle to adhere to FAIR principles, reducing their utility and potential for integration. Sustainability is also a concern, as funding often relies on short-term projects or philanthropic support, undermining long-term viability. Conclusion These issues collectively hinder the ability of digital health policy repositories to support comprehensive and timely global health policy development. To unlock the full potential of existing or new repositories for health policy, identified challenges should be tackled systematically. We provide specific recommendations aimed at driving the development of equitable, inclusive, high-functioning repositories and strengthening evidence-driven global health policy systems.

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