# S DMX-HD (Health Domain) v1.0 documentation
Version 2009.07.WHO.01

## Table of Contents

· Introduction · SDMX-HD v1.0 specification document · Getting started: Quick steps to build your first SDMX-HD message · SDMX-HD v1.0 reference content and data dictionary · Sample 1: How to exchange indicator definitions · Sample 2: How to exchange indicator definitions and data · More information |

## Introduction

The adoption of ISO/TS 17369:2005, Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) by the UN for aggregate data will contribute to efforts to promote computer system interoperability and data use. The SDMX-HD standard is the WHO implementation of ISO/TS 17369:2005 which is implemented in the WHO Indicator and Metadata Registry (IMR), a facility for harmonizing, managing, and publishing computer-readable indicator definitions, and other applications in use in the Health Domain (HD).

This document is aimed at a technical audience with the primary objective of explaining how to exchange indicator definitions and data using the SDMX-HD standard. The reader is assumed to have good knowledge of the SDMX standard. Additional documentation is available online from http://www.sdmx.org. The SDMX User Guide version 2009.1 is a good starting point. A Google Group has also been created to promote the development of a community around the SDMX-HD to promote its use. The site can be found at http://groups.google.com/group/sdmx_hd.

The SDMX standard describes statistical metadata through a data structure definition, or DSD, which defines concepts, dimensions, attributes, codelists and other artifacts necessary to describe the structure of data. In a parallel manner, a metadata structure definition, or MSD, describes metadata associated with data at observation, series, group, and dataset levels.

When these SDMX structures are combined with metadata attributes recommended in international standards harmonized across programmes, a message that will satisfy a majority of requirements can be developed. The standards referenced in this document include:

· ISO/TS 17369:2005, Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX)

· ISO 15836:2003, Information and documentation - The Dublin Core metadata element set

· Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)

· ISO/IEC 11179, Information Technology - Metadata registries (MDR)

· ISO 3166-1, Codes for representation of names of countries and their subdivisions - Part 1: Country codes

· ISO 3166-2, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions – Part 2: Country subdivision code

· ISO 4217, Codes for the representation of currencies and funds

The attributes in the SDMX-HD provide an entry point into metadata management, a subset of attributes from these standards having been incorporated into the SDMX-HD model. It is expected that more metadata attributes will be adopted as the business cases for interoperability mature.

Using XML as a standard transmission format enables the seamless, multi-lingual transmission of data and metadata. In addition, it eliminates peer-to-peer format negotiation and facilitates interoperability with external systems.

Please find more information about XML validation in the avoiding common mistakes section. Commercial software offering professional XML validation features is widely available on various platform:

· One example is "Stylus Studio 6 XML Professional Edition" available at http://www.stylusstudio.com

· Another set of very useful tools are provided by metadata technology.

## More information

To obtain more information about the SDMX-HD specification please visit the SDMX-HD Google Group at http://groups.google.com/group/sdmx_hd or contact:

Patrick Whitaker Technical Officer Health Care Informatics Unit Health Statistics and Informatics Department Information, Evidence, and Research Cluster World Health Organization 20 avenue Appia 1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland Tel. direct: +41 22 791 1372 E-mail: whitakerp@who.int |

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