Health information systems in Africa: descriptive analysis of data sources, information products and health statistics

Abstract

Objective: To identify key data sources of health information and describe their availability in countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. Methods: An analytical review on the availability and quality of health information data sources in countries; from experience, observations, literature and contributions from countries. Setting: Forty-six Member States of the WHO African Region. Participants: No participants. Main outcome measures: The state of data sources, including censuses, surveys, vital registration and health care facility-based sources. Results: In almost all countries of the Region, there is a heavy reliance on household surveys for most indicators, with more than 121 household surveys having been conducted in the Region since 2000. Few countries have civil registration systems that permit adequate and regular tracking of mortality and causes of death. Demographic surveillance sites function in several countries, but the data generated are not integrated into the national health information system because of concerns about representativeness. Health management information systems generate considerable data, but the information is rarely used because of concerns about bias, quality and timeliness. To date, 43 countries in the Region have initiated Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response. Conclusions: A multitude of data sources are used to track progress towards health-related goals in the Region, with heavy reliance on household surveys for most indicators. Countries need to develop comprehensive national plans for health information that address the full range of data needs and data sources and that include provision for building national capacities for data generation, analysis, dissemination and use.

High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution

“…173,180 Tools and indicators are fragmented by disease and funding source, with inadequate harmonisation and few national plans for coordination and data use. 180,181 For example, 26 different bilateral, multilateral, governmental, and non-govern mental Panel 10: From measurement to action* Measurement alone will not ensure health system quality. Actionable information must reach agents capable and empowered to use it to effect change in the health system.…”

“…148 Barriers to robust implementation and use of electronic health records and DHIS include restricted ownership by end users, scarce training on data skills, lack of motivation and engagement by overburdened health workers, large numbers of indicators required, and inadequate functionality of electronic platforms. 181,190 As a result, data quality in routine health information systems is poor, with vertical programme assessments often identifying high prevalence of missing or inaccurate data. 181,191 New evidence from Kenya, Nigeria, and Mexico suggests that such deficiencies in data quality also pertain to indicators of health system quality (appendix 2).…”

Evaluasi Sistem Pelaporan Insiden Keselamatan Pasien Di Rumah Sakit

“…Kerangka HMN bertujuan untuk mengembangkan dan memperkuat sistem informasi kesehatan negara serta membantu dalam penerapan monitoring dan evaluasi yang berkelanjutan (WHO, 2008). Selain itu, kerangka tersebut membantu mengidentifikasi kesenjangan dan isu penting yang dapat dilihat dari sudut pandang stakeholders yang terlibat dalam sistem informasi kesehatan (Mbondji et al, 2014).…”

Twenty Years of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Effective Management of Infectious Disease Epidemics

“…Challenges of IDSR in SSA This review indicates that in most countries, data generated through the routine HMIS, which is the key source of IDSR, are rarely assessed for their quality, analysed and used to support decision-making [29]. Several studies in SSA have revealed weaknesses in case identi cation and recording at the primary healthcare facilities [14,24,37,57,72,82].…”