Locations
A health information system which works well is essential for monitoring and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In many countries, however, the current pandemic confronts data collection with significant challenges. Therefore it is fundamental for countries to strengthen and adjust health information systems in place in order to produce information on the epidemic’s trajectory.
As a part of its support to health system strengthening, UNDP, with funding from the Global Fund and operational support from World Bank in 2019, has been working with the Ministry of Health to digitize health data in health units and turn the DHIS2 health information system software operational. This included data on malaria and other WHO notifiable diseases such as cholera, polio and yellow fever.
This work has strengthened the capacity of the national government to track disease outbreaks and has now been extended to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital data package, established with support from UNDP, will allow the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to understand and respond to the pandemic.
