Strengthening the analytical capacity to harness the power of cohorts for health policy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Abstract

Routinely collected data offer substantial opportunities to strengthen public health research and evidence-informed policy in Latin America and the Caribbean. This Comment summarizes lessons from the 2025 workshop Closing the Data Gap for Public Health in Latin America and the Caribbean, which convened 445 participants from 22 countries. Discussions and participant surveys highlighted persistent challenges, including restricted data access, fragmented governance, limited interoperability, variable data quality, insufficient technical capacity, and unstable funding. The workshop also demonstrated strong regional interest in developing cohorts based on routinely collected data and identified opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, methodological harmonization, and secure data access. Establishing a regional community of practice, developing multi-country projects, and strengthening training and governance emerged as priorities. Cohorts based on routinely collected data can become a strategic, more efficient resource for generating policy-relevant evidence, strengthening health systems, and advancing health equity across the region.