WHO-FIC Interoperability Hub

Your central gateway to mapping, tools and guidance for international health classifications

The Interoperability Hub supports the use of WHO classifications for clinical decision support, secondary use of health data for research and public health, cross-border exchange of patient data, and the training of artificial intelligence systems on terminology-encoded clinical data. WHO classifications are openly permitted for these uses across all WHO Member States, under transparent and Member-State-accountable governance.

Overview

The WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC) provides a standardized, integrated set of classifications and terminologies that support consistent global health information. Learn more about WHO-FIC.

Through the integration of terminology and classification in a single framework, WHO classifications provide the openly permitted, Member-State-accountable foundation on which interoperable health information systems and the next generation of clinical AI are built. The Interoperability Hub supports the technical work that puts this foundation to use: mapping, tooling, implementation guidance, and the alignment of WHO classifications with international interoperability standards.

In this Hub you will find:

  • Tools and downloads to support mapping and coding
  • Mapping methods and best-practice guidance
  • Published mappings and linkages with external terminologies
  • Reference information on permitted mapping under the WHO licensing framework
  • Implementation resources for Member States, Collaborating Centres, and digital health system implementers

Who uses the Hub

The Hub serves the audiences working on the integration of WHO classifications into digital health systems:

  • National implementers — Ministries of Health, statistical offices, and digital health authorities adopting WHO classifications in national health information systems.
  • Collaborating Centres of the WHO Family of International Classifications Network — for technical work on mapping, implementation, and content development.
  • Digital health system developers — for the integration of WHO classifications into electronic health records, clinical decision support systems, and analogous applications.
  • Developers of artificial intelligence systems with health-related capabilities — for the lawful use of WHO-FIC-encoded data in training and evaluation.
  • Researchers and international research consortia — for secondary use of health data in research and policy development.
  • International standards bodies — including HL7 and ISO/TC 215 — working with WHO on the alignment of WHO classifications with international interoperability standards.

Tools and resources

Mapping guidance and methodology

Key mapping principles:

  • Define purpose and scope clearly.
  • Select mapping technique appropriate to source and target.
  • Publish transparent documentation and metadata.
  • Apply quality assurance and usage validation.
  • Operate within the WHO licensing framework that governs use of WHO classifications.

Permitted mapping

WHO classifications are designed for interoperability with other terminology and classification systems used in health information work. All mapping activity involving WHO classifications is conducted under the WHO licensing framework. Permitted mapping includes:

  • The development of value sets, code groupings, and subsets of WHO classifications for specific applications, including casemix and diagnosis-related grouping, reimbursement, public health surveillance, epidemiology, registries, and analogous purposes.
  • The use of permitted mapping outputs in training artificial intelligence systems, under the same conditions as other uses of WHO-FIC-encoded data.

For mapping queries, partnership proposals, or specific authorisation requests, contact the Classifications and Terminologies team.

Published linkages and external terminologies

WHO supports linkages between ICD-11/WHO-FIC and other terminologies or classifications where the linkage supports interoperability and operates within the WHO licensing framework. Current published linkages include:

Inclusion of a linkage or mapping does not imply endorsement of a third-party terminology or product.

Work with international standards bodies

WHO works with international standards organizations, like HL7, to align WHO classifications with the technical interoperability standards used in digital health systems.

This work supports the use of WHO classifications as the openly permitted clinical content layer in international interoperability standards, governed through Member State processes rather than commercial licensing arrangements.

Licence reference

The digital version of ICD-11, ICF, and ICHI (the "Classifications Suite") is subject to the Terms of Use and License Agreement issued by WHO.

Key licence points:

  • ICD-11 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 IGO (CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO).
  • The WHO licensing framework governs the use of WHO classifications including mapping, integration with other terminologies, and the use of WHO-FIC-encoded data in training artificial intelligence systems.
  • Mappings or crosswalks involving WHO classifications operate under the WHO licensing framework as described in Permitted mapping above.
  • Any mention of ICD-11 in published reports should include the citation: International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), World Health Organization (WHO) 2019/2021, https://icd.who.int/browse11.

Implementers should confirm licence conditions before use and contact the Classifications and Terminologies team for queries about specific use cases.

Get started

If you are planning a mapping project or looking to use WHO classifications and mapping artefacts:

  1. Review the Mapping Guide and select the appropriate technique and scope.
  2. Download and explore tools including CodeFusion, the ICD-API, and the ICD-11 Browser.
  3. Check the Permitted mapping section to confirm your intended use falls within the WHO licensing framework.
  4. Check published mappings and adapt them as needed for your use case.
  5. Implement quality assurance and usage validation — refer to the Mapping Guide for best practice.
  6. Publish or share your mapping as a public good, aligned with WHO-FIC governance principles.

Frequently asked questions

Does using a mapping mean ICD-11 is no longer needed?

No. ICD-11 remains the primary standard for recording, classification, and reporting. Mappings support interoperability; they do not replace ICD-11 implementation.

Can I use CodeFusion to create mappings to any terminology?

CodeFusion supports mapping generation to a range of terminologies and classifications. The scope of the mapping and the licensing conditions that apply depend on what is being mapped. See Permitted mapping above and the Mapping Guide for details.

Does WHO endorse or certify third-party terminologies via this Hub?

No. WHO remains neutral. Any linkage published does not constitute endorsement.

Can WHO classifications be used to train artificial intelligence systems?

Yes. WHO classifications are openly permitted for use in training artificial intelligence systems with health-related capabilities, across all WHO Member States, under the WHO licensing framework. This includes training on WHO-FIC-encoded clinical data for clinical decision support, natural language processing, automated coding, and large language models with health-related capabilities.

How do mapping arrangements relate to training data for AI systems?

The use of mapping outputs in AI training falls within the WHO licensing framework. Where mapping operates between WHO classifications and substantively distinct terminology systems (see Permitted mapping), the resulting outputs are usable for AI training under the same conditions as other uses of WHO-FIC-encoded data.

How does the Interoperability Hub relate to international standards such as the International Patient Summary?

The Hub supports the use of WHO classifications as the clinical content layer in international interoperability standards, including the International Patient Summary as specified by HL7 and ISO/TC 215. See Work with international standards bodies above.

References