#19 | WHO Releases ICD-11 2026 Update: The Global Standard for Health Data

In this episode of the GMJ Podcast — the official podcast of the Georgian Medical Journal, we examine the 2026 update of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) released by the World Health Organization.ICD-11 is the global standard used by health systems to classify diseases, injuries and causes of death, enabling countries to collect comparable health statistics and support clinical documentation, research and health policy. The 2026 release continues the evolution of ICD-11 as a digital-ready classification system designed for modern health systems, supporting precise clinical documentation, improved reporting and global comparability of health data. Unlike earlier versions, ICD-11 is designed for integration with electronic health records, digital health platforms and advanced analytics, allowing health systems to connect data collected at the point of care with national and global health intelligence systems. The episode explores several key themes:• ICD-11 as the global standard for disease classification• The role of ICD systems in health statistics and surveillance• How digital coding systems improve global health data interoperability• The importance of standardized classification for health policy and research• The growing role of ICD-11 in digital health ecosystems and AI-driven health data analysisICD-11 was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2019 and came into effect in 2022, replacing ICD-10 as the international standard for recording diseases and causes of death. The 2026 update represents another step in strengthening global health data infrastructure and improving the ability of health systems worldwide to monitor disease trends and respond to emerging health challenges.Original WHO source discussed in this episode:https://www.who.int/news/item/16-02-2026-icd-11-2026-releaseThe GMJ Podcast accompanies peer-reviewed publications and global health policy discussions published in the Georgian Medical Journal.Journal website:https://gmj.ge/index.php/pub/index#გიორგიფხაკაძე #drpkhakadze #sheniekimi