Salient Features of the OHSO:

1. Information-base: develop and enable access to the informa-

tion-base necessary for supporting the policy formulation process.
2. Information-access: provide access to data and information on
Ministry of Health
health status, activities and outcomes. Sultanate of Oman
3. Knowledge-base: provide a platform for sharing knowledge,
intelligence and networking.
4. Policy dialogue: facilitate policy dialogue and provide a
platform for policy analyses.
5. Information use: promote use of information resulting into
improved quality and access to information.
Contact:
Products & Services of OHSO: Policies & Health Systems Unit
- Comparative health systems and policy studies Tel: +968 - 22357253
- Health system profiles Fax: +968 - 22357260
Email:pusu2030@gmail.com
- Policy briefs and write-ups
- Situation and trends analyses
- Forecasts and scenarios
- Health policy news and updates for researchers and
decision-makers

OHSO Website
The OHSO will be a web-based portal with an integrated indica-
tors database, knowledge-base, highlight and profile generator.
 Health System Observatory (HSO) :
“A policy-oriented institution aimed at performing systematic and
on-going observations on relevant issues and dynamics about
population health and health systems, in support of
evidence-based health policy, planning, decision-making and
action in public health and health systems. The ultimate goal is to
contribute to the maintenance and improvement of the population
health, including the responsiveness, and efficiency of the health
system and bridging the inequalities”. Policy makers, senior
managers, partners and stakeholders are always interested in better
understanding the performance of the health system, as well as
knowing opportunities for improvement in effectiveness, efficien-
cy and equity.
acting as a basis for comparison between levels of health care or
with other, Word Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged and
assisted regions and member states to develop their own HSO. The
European Observatory of Health Systems and Policies and the
North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies are
among the most famous observatories that served as a prime
source for informed and comparable descriptions of health
systems within their regions.
Oman Health System Observatory (OHSO):
The establishment of OHSO is among the innovative endeavors
by the Directorate General of Planning & Studies and it will be
the first of its kind in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.
As a foundation, the OHSO will leverage on the vision
document, Health vision 2050, the strategic studies as well as
existing potentials, resources and initiatives such as the Health
Atlas, the system of national accounts, the research and studies,
the health information databases, and the geographical informa-
tion system. Due to the decentralization of the health care
delivery system in MOH, the OHSO will give considerable
attention to governorates which will act as interactive satellites.
The OHSO will provide more systematic health system and policy
comparisons among governorates.
Furthermore, the OHSO will serve as a future center of excellence
as well as a recognized WHO collaborating center in issues
pertinent to health systems development.
Goal & Objectives :
The overall goal of the OHSO is to provide information and
knowledge in support of evidence-based health policymaking and
planning. The specific objectives of the HSO are to:
- comprehensively describing and analyzing health systems
dynamics, synergies and the changes they undergo;
- utilizing health sector experience (from across all levels of
health care) to illuminate policy issues;
- bringing together a wide range of stakeholders (academics, poli
cy-makers, organizations and practitioners) to analyze trends in
health policies and reforms;
- promoting evidence-based health policy-making by engaging
directly with policy-makers;
- communicating effectively with policy-makers through a range
of dissemination strategies;
- encouraging debate about issues raised by research develop
ments;-creating a rapid response capacity for emerging health
systems issues.
Contribution of the OHSO :
OHSO will assist in performing comprehensive systematic and
analytical overview, monitoring the trends, forecasting and antici-
pating possible scenarios, and providing policy-oriented recom-
mendations in all health system-related dimensions.
Values &Guiding Principles of the OHSO:
The values and guiding principles that underpin function of the
OHSO are:
- Evidence for population benefit
- Excellence
- Efficiency and quality,
- Responsiveness,
- Transparency and integrity
- Accountability
OHSO Functions:
Through streamlining and integration of information and adopting
the highest ethical and professional standards, the functions of the
OHSO will be:
- Provide up-to-date accurate and quality information of the
Omani health care system dynamics, health developments and
trends.
- A reliable source of information for descriptive, analytical and
prescriptive work on specific health system issues.
- Serve as a powerful tool for advocacy, collection and publishing
of reports as well as documentation of best practices.
- Act as a knowledge network for dissemination of information
and estab lishment of links with regional and international
observatories, institutions, organizations and researchers.
- Generate and promote evidence-based health policy making and
planning.
- Build and disseminate the national evidence-informed policy
capacity and culture.