Leaving no disease behind: The roadmap to securing universal health security and what this means for the surveillance of infectious diseases in Ghana as a precedent for sub-Saharan Africa

Mahama, Peter N-Jonaam; Kabo-bah, Amos T.; Falchetta, Giacomo; Blanford, Simon; Yamba, Edmund Ilimoan; Antwi-Agyei, Prince; Asiedu-Bekoe, Franklin; Awuah, Esi; Yieri, Justin

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284931

Cited by 2 publications

References 17 publications

(23 reference statements)

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Leveraging Health Information System Maturity Assessments to Guide Strategic Priorities: Perspectives from African Leaders

Vumbugwa,

Puttkammer,

Majaha

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Introduction Central to a functional public health system is a strong health information ecosystem and robust data use. Many low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) face the task of digitizing their health information systems (HIS). For health leaders, deciding what to prioritize when investing in HIS strengthening is central to this daunting challenge. Objectives The study explores how HIS maturity assessment contributes to HIS strengthening, describes the facilitators and barriers to HIS maturity assessments, and how health leaders can prioritize conducting maturity assessments. Methods This descriptive qualitative study employed key informant interviews (KIIs) with fourteen eHealth leaders at national and international levels working or supporting Ministries of Health’s national HIS in LMICs. Results were analyzed using Dedoose Version 9.0 to develop themes based on the health systems' building blocks as a framework for identifying facilitators and barriers to conducting HIS maturity assessment. Results Participants identified maturity assessments as a critical beginning step to HIS strengthening, showing the system’s performance, and building a baseline response to systematic data quality challenges. Barriers to conducting HIS maturity assessment include lacking collaborators’ buy-in, fragmented vision, low financial/human resources, and overdependence on donor priorities. Non-supportive policies, a lack of execution champions, and an inadequately skilled workforce in conducting maturity assessments or negotiating for their prioritization hinder maturity assessment implementation. Frequently identified facilitators to promoting HIS maturity assessment include multi-stakeholder engagement, understanding the country’s HIS ecosystem, and priorities to appropriately integrate maturity assessment objectives. Recommendations include capacity building in data use and conducting maturity assessments at all health system levels to grow the demand and value of HIS maturity assessments. Conclusion Promoting HIS maturity assessments can help leaders prioritize areas to improve in the HIS ecosystem, making appropriate decisions that steward HIS maturity advancement. Addressing challenges that hinder HIS assessment implementation holds promise to identify a pathway to a strengthened health system.

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Leveraging Health Information System Maturity Assessments to Guide Strategic Priorities: Perspectives from African Leaders

Vumbugwa,

Puttkammer,

Majaha

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Mitigating the escalating threat of infectious diseases outbreaks in tropical Africa: a perspective examination of challenges and strategies for future preparedness

Hassan,

Adigun,

Manirambona

et al. 2024

Beni-Suef Univ J Basic Appl Sci

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Background The escalating threat of infectious disease outbreaks in Africa, particularly emerging and re-emerging diseases, necessitates urgent and comprehensive action. The frequency of these outbreaks demands a robust enhancement of notification and reporting systems to enable swift public health interventions. Main body of the abstract Tropical diseases such as malaria, COVID-19, typhoid fever, yellow fever, arboviruses, cholera, rabies, schistosomiasis, tuberculosis, black fungus, meningitis, evolving pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance pose significant health risks globally, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The region faces complexities in healthcare, including weak systems, inadequate surveillance, socioeconomic disparities, and other issues. Poor health literacy, traditional practices, and distrust hinder effective disease control and contribute to disease emergence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Continuous research and global collaboration are essential to address these public health concerns, especially given Africa's unique challenges. Disease surveillance emerges as a highly effective strategy, crucial in regions vulnerable to infectious diseases. Establishing and strengthening comprehensive surveillance and reporting systems at individual, regional, national, and international levels is crucial due to the unpredictable nature of borderless outbreaks and their significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and economic stability. National surveillance relies heavily on effective control mechanisms within local community areas, necessitating the active involvement of medical personnel. Successful systems depend on functional countries using collected data for timely warnings and localized interventions. Stakeholders, including governments, health authorities, and international organizations, must collaborate urgently to implement and sustain these vital systems, mitigating the devastating consequences of infectious disease outbreaks. Additionally, a holistic approach is crucial, involving prioritized local production of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics through initiatives like the African Vaccine Producers Initiative. This approach emphasizes the need for domestic pharmaceutical production, intensified public awareness campaigns, and the training of the next generation of global health leaders, ensuring multidimensional strategies, political and diplomatic skills, and evidence-based assessments. Conclusion Collaboration among governments, international organizations, and educational institutions is essential for successful policy advocacy and implementation to strengthen health security and mitigate the continuous rise of infectious diseases on the continent.

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Leaving no disease behind: The roadmap to securing universal health security and what this means for the surveillance of infectious diseases in Ghana as a precedent for sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 2 publications

References 17 publications

Leveraging Health Information System Maturity Assessments to Guide Strategic Priorities: Perspectives from African Leaders

Leveraging Health Information System Maturity Assessments to Guide Strategic Priorities: Perspectives from African Leaders

Mitigating the escalating threat of infectious diseases outbreaks in tropical Africa: a perspective examination of challenges and strategies for future preparedness

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