Anambra partners EU, WHO on health information gathering

ANAMBRA State Government with support from the European Union (EU) is partnering with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to commence District Health Information (DHIS) System Data Analytic Application and Health Facility Registry (HFR) workshop.

  The training is on WHO Data Quality App and update of the HFR software and database.

  As part of the activity, a team of personnel from HISP Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Health and WHO are in the state to support the Data Operation Centre operationalisation.

  This would feature the introduction of key officers to WHO Data Quality App in updating the Health Facility Registry (HFR) software and database.

  Workers of Health Information Systems Programme (HISP) Nigeria are the administrators of DHIS2 in the country.

  Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala in declaring the workshop open, urged the participants to participate actively in order to achieve the objectives of the training.

  Dr Okpala expressed joy at the way the training was being coordinated and wished them a successful workshop.

H  e encouraged them to pay attention so as to help in proffering lasting solutions to the challenges facing data reporting in the state.

 The Permanent secretary, Mr Linus Nwankwo represented the commissioner at the training.

  State Directo,r Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Edith Nwachukwu said that the training was also aimed at updating the state’s facility registry, as well as to look into data gathering proficiency.

  “This registry contains all the health facilities in the state with their geo-coordinates, where they are located.

  “So, we have had some challenges in the past trying to remove those facilities that are no longer in existence and those ones that are duplicated.

  “The Federal Ministry of Health and WHO are helping us to carry out the training with support from the EU.

  “People that are handling the facilities are participating in this training, and as well, the DHIS officers are here to interact with the objective of achieving a desired outcome,” she said.

  Mrs Nwachukwu explained that DHIS was a platform for gathering data from the local government to the state, from the state to the federal government .

  The local government monitoring and evaluation officers are to receive training on Health Facility Registry while State Health Officers are to be trained on District Health Information System.