Information systems crucial for evidence based policies

Many of the projects in the Support to Public Health institutes Programme are involved in capacity building of Health Management Information Systems, of with the application of the DHIS 2 software.

Projects may be involved in development of software modules in the DHIS 2, like Kenya where the DHIS 2 tracker is introduced (a personal health record) for follow up of children in under-5 clinics. The software is also used to monitor the impact of malaria prophylaxis. The project in Bangladesh is developing "dashboards", different sets of indicators visualised in an attractive manner, to show line managers and policy makers the development of health service delivery.

In Uganda the DHIS 2 is used to monitor the policy implementation and follow up on Universal Health Coverage using the indicators as designed by the United Nations. Other SPHIP projects use the DHIS software in pilot programmes and research activities.

Capacity building in the use of DHIS 2 is planned in several projects, with Bangladesh as special project where now e-learning modules are under development. Reliable data are very important to use in evidence-based policies. This is crucial for sustainable development of health services.

Several projects train managers and policy makers in the use of information for decision-making. They get courses in interpretation of information and in ways to use the information in steering developments in the health services. This is planned in projects in Myanmar, Burundi, Bangladesh and Kenya.

It is very exiting the see the projects developing. International exchange is slowly developing in the programme, and will be further stimulated.

On 26 and 27 April the MA4 Health Inter-Country Measurement and Accountability Conference is taking place in Bangladesh. This is a follow-up on the first conference in Washington last year. See http://ma4health.hsaccess.org/home  Further exchange is taking place amongst countries in the region on data for decision-making efforts and new plans for collaboration are discussed.

I am presenting experiences from previous projects I monitored and share the work in the SPHIP programme for strengthening health management information systems. (See attached presentation.)

Jaap Koot

Team Leader Support Team SPHIP