Creating digitization directorates at the level of health institutions

The Minister of Health, Mohamed Siddiq Ait Messaoudane, confirmed that the issue of cybersecurity and the protection of health data falls within the strategic priorities of the Algerian state, especially in light of the comprehensive digital transformation that the health sector is witnessing, pointing to the creation of digitization directorates at the level of health institutions.

On the occasion of his supervision of the opening of the work of the national training week dedicated to the subject of cybersecurity and the protection of personal data in the health sector, on Sunday, the Minister added that the Ministry of Health is working in harmony with the national strategy for cybersecurity and the directives of the country’s higher authorities, to integrate the security and legal dimensions into all digitization projects, and to consolidate the culture of data protection within health institutions, through training, awareness-raising, and human capacity building.

He pointed out that this digital transformation, despite the gains it achieves, imposes great challenges, the most important of which is ensuring information security and protecting health data of a personal nature, as it is one of the most sensitive data related to the rights and basic freedoms of individuals. He added that organizing this training week falls within the framework of enhancing compliance with the national legislation related to the establishment and operation of health information systems, and strengthening institutional coordination with the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data, in a way that enshrines the principles of health data governance.

The Minister stressed that this demonstration reflects the Ministry’s will to invest in the human resource, qualify young talents, and enhance its awareness of the professional and legal responsibilities associated with the use of digital systems and health data. He also praised the contribution of institutional partners, led by the Ministry of National Defense, the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data, and the Center for Scientific and Technological Research. He appreciated this cooperation, which reflects the integration of visions and coordination of efforts in the service of national digital security and the protection of information sovereignty, wishing the participants good luck and success in this week’s work. Formative.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ait Masoudan reiterated that the digitization of the health sector is one of the priorities of sectoral work and national strategies, as it is a fundamental pillar for improving governance, raising the efficiency of performance, and enhancing the quality of health services provided to citizens. In this context, he expressed his full confidence in the national competencies and technical frameworks, stressing that the success of the digitization process in the health sector remains dependent on their effective involvement and professional commitment.

He also pointed out the Ministry’s keenness to accompany these efforts by stimulating and appreciating the initiatives and efforts made, and gradually working to create specialized organizational structures, similar to digitization directorates at the level of health institutions, to ensure the sustainability of digital transformation and the achievement of the goals set in this vital field.

This opening took place in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data, and the Center for Research in Scientific and Technical Information (CERIST) through its PROXYLAN branch, in addition to the Ministry of Health’s executives and automated media engineers working in health institutions across the various states of the country.