Health databases & datasets: Asia

HDB-0088

China Kadoorie Biobank

University of Oxford Clinical Trial Service Unit & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences A prospective cohort biobank collecting blood samples, questionnaire data, and clinical information from over 510,000 Chinese adults aged 30-79 recruited between 2004-2008 from 10 regions. The resource enables investigation of genetic and environmental factors in chronic disease etiology through long-term follow-up and research collaborations. Open dataset Credentialed HDB-0089

BioBank Japan

Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo A disease-focused biobank established in 2003 maintaining DNA and serum samples from approximately 270,000 patients with 51 targeted diseases, with whole genome sequencing available for over 16,000 participants. The resource supports personalized medicine research with findings published in major scientific journals. Open dataset Credentialed HDB-0090

Japan MID-NET (Medical Information Database Network)

Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) A distributed medical information database established in 2018 aggregating electronic health records, insurance claims data, and diagnosis procedure combination information from healthcare institutions. The database supports real-world drug safety assessments and pharmacoepidemiological research with rigorous quality management standards. Research database Credentialed HDB-0091

Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) An annual national surveillance survey conducted since 1998 examining the health and nutritional status of approximately 10,000 representative Korean individuals. The survey collects data on socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, clinical/biochemical profiles, and dietary intake to inform national health policy development. Open dataset Open access HDB-0092

National Health Information Database / National Health Insurance Service Data

National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) A research data platform providing access to universal health insurance and health screening data covering over 50 million members of South Korea's national insurance system. The database includes eligibility data, health screening results, healthcare utilization records, prescriptions, and mortality information for the entire insured population. Research database Credentialed HDB-0093

Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service Data (HIRA)

Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service A comprehensive claims repository containing healthcare reimbursement data from 98% of South Korea's population covering 56+ million patients (2015-2024 in standardized OMOP-CDM format). The database includes patient demographics, diagnoses, prescriptions, procedures, and surgical information supporting health services research. Research database Open access HDB-0094

China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

Peking University National School of Development & Institute of Social Science Survey A nationally representative longitudinal survey tracking health, retirement, and socioeconomic data for Chinese residents aged 45 and older, with baseline sample of over 17,000 individuals from 150 counties. The biennial survey (baseline 2011-2012, latest Wave 5 in 2020) includes physical measurements, cognitive assessments, and biomarkers comparable to international aging cohorts. Open dataset Free registration HDB-0095

Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS)

Hospital Authority A comprehensive clinical data repository managed by Hong Kong's Hospital Authority covering over 11 million individuals (90%+ of population) with electronic health records from 43 hospitals and 122 outpatient clinics. The database contains diagnosis codes, medication records, procedures, laboratory results, and admission/discharge details supporting territory-wide epidemiological research. Research database Credentialed HDB-0096

National Family Health Survey (NFHS)

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Large-scale multi-round national household survey conducted across India since 1992-93, providing data on fertility, mortality, family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, and reproductive health. Data is publicly accessible through factsheets and datasets organized by survey round and state. Open dataset Open access HDB-0097

ICMR National Health Research Data Repository

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Centralized repository of anonymized high-quality health research datasets maintained by ICMR to support health research and innovation in India. Researchers must register and gain credentialed access to query datasets covering areas including gastrointestinal disorders, cerebral thrombosis, pesticide exposure, and infectious diseases. Research database Credentialed HDB-0098

ICMR-NINE National Cancer Registry Programme

ICMR - National Institute of NCD Epidemiology (formerly NCDIR) National cancer registry program established in 1982, operating through 38 population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) and 269 hospital-based registries (HBCRs) covering approximately 11 percent of India's population. Registry data supports understanding cancer epidemiology, trends, and patterns across India; registries operate as part of broader NCD surveillance including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Research database By application HDB-0099

Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), in collaboration with National Institute on Aging (USA) and Harvard School of Public Health India's first and largest longitudinal study of ageing, tracking over 73,000 adults aged 45 and older across all states and union territories to assess health, economic, social, and wellbeing dimensions. Wave 1 was conducted in 2017-18, with Wave 2 scheduled for 2024-25; data supports research on aging and policy development. Open dataset Free registration HDB-0100

Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS)

RAND Corporation Longitudinal household survey begun in 1993, representing 83 percent of Indonesia's population with detailed data on over 30,000 individuals across 13 provinces. Data covers consumption, income, assets, education, migration, labor, fertility, contraceptive use, health status, health insurance, and family relationships; researchers must register to access public-use data files. Open dataset Free registration HDB-0101

Health Information System Development Office (HISO) - Thailand Health Data Portal

Health Information System Development Office (HISO), Ministry of Public Health, Thailand Thailand's centralized health information and statistics portal that collects health data from domestic organizations including the Ministry of Public Health, National Statistical Office, National Health Security Office, and international agencies. Portal provides access to health indicators, statistics, reports, and visualization tools for trend analysis. Open dataset Open access HDB-0102

Singapore National Registry of Diseases Office (NRDO)

National Registry of Diseases Office (NRDO), Ministry of Health Singapore Government registry established under the National Registry of Diseases Act (2007) that maintains disease registries for major conditions including cancer (established 1968), myocardial infarction, renal failure, and stroke. Registries collect clinical and epidemiological data from healthcare institutions to track disease burden, trends, and outcomes. Research database Credentialed HDB-0103

Malaysia National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS)

Institute for Public Health (IKU), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia Annual national cross-sectional household health survey conducted by Malaysia's Ministry of Health since 2011 to monitor population health status and health-related behaviors. Each annual survey focuses on specific health themes and provides state-level and national data to support health policy-making and service planning. Open dataset Open access HDB-0104

Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in collaboration with DHS Program Nationally-representative survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (now every 3 years, previously every 5 years) as part of the global DHS program, tracking population dynamics, fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, and health service utilization. The 2022 NDHS was the seventh DHS conducted in the Philippines since 1968. Open dataset Open access HDB-0105

Bangladesh icddr,b Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System

icddr,b (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh) The longest-running health and demographic surveillance system in the global South, operating since 1966 in Matlab, Bangladesh, tracking births, deaths, migrations, marriages, and divorces across a rural population of approximately 220,000. Matlab HDSS is a member of the INDEPTH network and serves as a research platform for health and demographic studies in developing country contexts. Research database By application HDB-0109

Golestan Cohort Study

Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; National Cancer Institute (NCI) The Golestan Cohort Study is a population-based prospective cohort of approximately 50,000 adults aged 40-75 years in Golestan Province, Iran, established to investigate environmental and genetic risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Participants provided biological specimens (blood, hair, nails, urine) and detailed lifestyle and dietary questionnaire data, with ongoing annual follow-up monitoring. Research database By application HDB-0151

CTRI (Clinical Trials Registry - India)

Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute for Research in Digital Health CTRI is a free public registry for registration of all clinical trials conducted in India, mandatory since 2009 and accessible through both the CTRI website and WHO's ICTRP. The registry contains over 115,000 trials including drug trials, surgical procedures, device studies, behavioral interventions, and AYUSH research, all prospectively registered before participant enrollment. Research database Open access HDB-0152

ChiCTR (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry)

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center ChiCTR is a WHO-recognised primary registry for clinical trials conducted in China, offering searchable access organized by geographic location, disease codes, funding source, recruitment status, and ethical committee approval. The platform includes a user account system for researchers to register and manage trials, with free registration and comprehensive methodology resources available. Research database Free registration HDB-0178

National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD, Taiwan)

Health and Welfare Data Science Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare (Taiwan) De-identified claims data from Taiwan's single-payer National Health Insurance scheme, which covers essentially the whole population, including diagnoses, prescriptions, procedures and examinations. Access is granted through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Health and Welfare Data Science Center, where approved researchers analyse the data on-site or in a controlled environment rather than downloading it. Research database By application HDB-0179

NDB — National Database of Health Insurance Claims (Japan)

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) Japan's national repository of anonymized health insurance claims and Specific Health Checkup records, collected under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare with data from April 2009 onward. Researchers apply to MHLW for provision of the anonymized data, which is used for health policy analysis and pharmacoepidemiology; MHLW also publishes aggregated NDB open data tables. Research database By application