New plan to boost health info systems

Dar es Salaam. The government on Wednesday signed a health data collaborative communique with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and development partners group with a focus to support the plans to improve the quality of health data and health information systems.

The event took place on Wednesday at the Health ministry offices here in the city, attended by various health stakeholders in the county.

Following the signing of the communique, the different stakeholders at national, regional and global health would now be able to work together more effectively and efficiently to make a bigger impact of investments and in country health information settings.

Addressing the participants during the signing of the communique on Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary from the Ministry of Health, Dr Mpoki Ulisubisya, reaffirmed that the government has put data among key country priorities, calling upon the development partners to join hand with the government to implement the health sector strategy.

“I would like to remind us all and to reiterate that the Tanzania health data collaborative is a continuation effort of joint priority actions to address gaps in our health data and information settings.

“In order to monitor the progress being made in the health sector, we have developed the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy,” Dr Ulisubisya said.

For his part, the WHO representative in Tanzania, Dr Matthieu Kamwa, expressed his optimism that the communique would guide the partners in health, to invest resources and technologies in key health data priorities for high return.

“Gold and diamonds are no longer the most valuable resources, but data and information. I therefore encourage the government to continue collaborating with the development partners in a bid to ensure that health stakeholders have sustainable access to efficient health data and information,” he said.

For her part, the chair of development partners group, Ms Norzin Grigoleit-Dagyab, assured the participants of the development partners group’s commitment to continue complementing the government’s efforts to enhance country’s health information systems.

At same occasion, the deputy permanent secretary in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Dr Zainab Chaula, reiterated that the government was determined to strengthen its health information system through harmonisation of data resources.

“Let me take this opportunity to thank you all and assure the commitment of my office that we will continue to work together with health stakeholders to enhance our data systems. A lot has been discussed and it is now time for action to implement the government priorities, “ she said.

In September 2017, the government joined the United National Health Data Collaborative and launched the Tanzania Health Data Collaborative, the event was witnessed by over 145 participants coming from across the World as well as in-country health development partners, civil society organizations, to mention a few.