The Zambia Health Facility Registry (ZHFR) is an authoritative and continuously updated register that catalogs every health facility in Zambia, including public, private-for-profit, and not-for-profit entities. Each facility is assigned a unique code and includes key attributes such as services offered, ownership, location, and operating status. This standardized system serves as a "switchboard," enabling various health information subsystems to connect and share data at the facility level. The ZHFR significantly reduces the effort and cost associated with data reconciliation, helps identify service gaps, staffing issues, and infrastructure needs by allowing planners to generate regional or national profiles. It enhances transparency and efficiency in reporting by providing the public and partners easy access to a comprehensive list of facilities through web services, thereby alleviating routine reporting burdens. Key benefits of the ZHFR include: - Providing decision-makers with an authoritative overview of health services across the country. - Enabling consistent comparisons of facility data over time and across different data sources. - Streamlining the sharing and reuse of facility data through accessible formats for authorized systems. - Facilitating rapid updates and data capture for maintaining an up-to-date register. - Connecting various datasets held by different ministries to enhance information value. - Supporting statistically sound health facility assessments. - Integrating facility-level surveys with legacy datasets for comprehensive data analysis. - Strengthening health-information systems by producing rich analytics for strategic planning. - Reducing financial and human resource costs by eliminating duplication in facility records. - Improving transparency and record-keeping within the healthcare sector. - Helping the public find appropriate care by providing accurate facility information. As a foundation for interoperable health information systems, the ZHFR supports evidence-based planning and delivers more efficient healthcare services to the general population in Zambia.