ICD-11 Perspectives
IFHIMA & ICD-11 OVERVIEW
The WHO adopted ICD-11 in May 2019.
As of January 2022, the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 11th Revision (ICD-11), is officially in effect, from the World Health Organization (WHO), for the national and international recording and reporting of causes of illness, death, and more. This standardized, up-to-date medical and scientific knowledge and terminology will allow for better classification of today’s health conditions. As of July 2025, 132 WHO member states are in various stages of ICD-11 implementation.
Since 2019, the IFHIMA Board has been working to facilitate awareness and foster readiness within the global health community for the implementation of ICD-11. This is illustrated by articles in Global News and LinkedIn; e-mail blasts on the latest from the WHO member nations; a whitepaper; an infographic; and an IFHIMA Position Statement originally published in April 2022 that is updated to February 2025. The April 30, 2025 Focus on the Future of HIM series specifically focused on ICD-11 implementation and experiences. There will be more to come from IFHIMA. Be sure to return to this ICD-11 landing page for updates.
The IFHIMA ICD-11 Community of Practice (CoP) is requesting your assistance in gathering international ICD-11 adoption datapoints. Our objective is to create Frequently Asked Questions and Answers regarding ICD-11 and post answers on the IFHIMA web site. Please note, we will maintain confidentiality of your name and only disclose the country in which you reside and the answers to the questions. Your personal information will be kept confidential. We may periodically contact you to update information. Thank you for your time and participation.
WHO ICD-11 and other classification resources:
IFHIMA suggests that our readers use the following links to access WHO ICD-11 and other classification materials.
- World Health Organization Family on International Classifications (WHO-FIC) Network. https://www.who.int/groups/who-family-of-international-classifications-network
- ICD-11 Home page. https://icd.who.int/en
- World Health Organization Family on International Classifications (WHO-FIC) Classifications and terminologies. https://www.who.int/standards/classifications
- International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11). https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/classification-of-diseases
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD-11 MMS). https://icd.who.int/browse/2021-05/mms/en
- WHO-FIC Classifications & Terminologies webinars. https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/classifications-and-terminologies-webinars
- WHO-FIC ICD-11 you tube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@WHOICD-11
- WHO FAQs ICD-11 Implementation. https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/icd-11-implementation
- ICD-11 Implementation and Transition Guide. https://icd.who.int/en/docs/ICD-11%20Implementation%20or%20Transition%20Guide_v105.pdf
Summary of the ICD-11 resources
POSITION STATEMENT – February 2025
ICD-11 APIs developed by PAHO
IFHIMA is pleased to share technical resources (APIs) WHO and PAHO have made available for the ICD-11 implementation.
WHO resources for ICD-11
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the ultimate source for ICD-11 materials. See more WHO resources from IFHIMA.
WHO: Revision of ICD-11 – questions and answers (Q&A)
Dr Robert Jakob, team leader for Classifications Terminologies and Standards at the World Health Organization, discusses the revision of the new ICD-11. (6:09 minutes)
The WHO announces the release of the 2020 update to the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11th Revision. View article here.
Now is the time for you to become even more knowledgeable and to step-up your organization’s planning and implementation with a deep dive into the information provided on the WHO website devoted to ICD-11.
ICD-11 PODCASTS – December 2021
This podcast series highlights the progress of ICD-11 around the globe. These podcasts are derived from updates by select countries as part of the SHIMA and IFHIMA conference December 6-7, 2021.
INFOGRAPHIC – August 2021
The infographic depicts a summary of benefits and steps on the ICD-11 planning and implementation journey.
WHITEPAPER – February 2021
IFHIMA Fosters Planning for ICD-11 Adoption with Global Case Studies
IFHIMA firmly believes that ICD-11 planning and implementation can be pivotal for improving health outcomes and also supports the IFHIMA vision of “a healthy world enabled by quality health information.”
The discussions in this whitepaper and global case studies delve into some of the specific challenges, and accomplishments to date, that countries and health information professionals may anticipate as they embark on their organizations’ journey to adopt ICD-11. Topics include benefits of ICD-11, planning, transition from ICD-10 to ICD-11, workforce development and education, language translation, field testing and implementation.
GLOBAL NEWS
Find articles discussing ICD-11 in Global News Issues from 2021 and 2020.
LINKEDIN and FACEBOOK
Connect to IFHIMA’s LinkedInpage and Lorraine Fernandes, IFHIMA President 2019- 2022 for articles on ICD-11 that are posted periodically.