RIS
South Africa’s health data is primarily regulated through the National Health Act (NHA) and its associated regulations, as well as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). These legal instruments outline the rules and principles for the collection, storage, use, and sharing of health data, aiming to protect individual privacy while supporting public health objectives. Key gaps are identified in the policy environment, health workforce and data infrastructure. Recommendations include enhancing human rights recognition, improving data quality, ensuring safety and accountability, and developing a holistic data governance framework to address these gaps and improve health data governance.