The Federal Ministry of Health says it is partnering with Plan International Nigeria, an NGO, to strengthen Community Health Management Information System (CHMIS) in Nigeria.
Emmanuel Abatta, a representative of the ministry, said this on Monday in Benin on the sidelines of the opening of a two-day workshop on CHMIS.
Abatta told newsmen that Data Managers from the 17 states in the Southern part of the country were participating in the meeting.
He said the meeting seeks to reactivate the health data governance structure for more effective management of the health information system in Nigeria.
“As you are aware, the Health Data Consultative committee (HDCC) is a prescription of the National Health Information System (NHIS) policy of 2014.
“In the light of the recent efforts by the Planning, Research and Statistics Department of the federal ministry of health to strengthen the health data management information system,
“it has become expedient to take action targeted at reactivating and strengthening the HDCC at both the federal and state levels to ensure momentum of present efforts,” he said.
He commended Plan International Nigeria for its “immense contributions to the development of health data management’’ in Nigeria.
Orji Ogbureke, the Head of Programme and Business Development, Plan International Nigeria, said the meeting was informed by the fact that states were using different tools and forms to collect community data.
Ogbureke said: “These data were usually localised in offices and not available in a central location such as Data Health Information System platform which captures mostly facility level data.
“This means that the central level decision making is not adequately informed by the true health status at all levels of government.”
He noted that the implementation of the National Health Information System would ensure that women, adolescent girls and children in the communities were captured as a step to improving our national health care system.
“This is especially important as the country plans to start the implementation of new National Health Strategic Development Plan.”
According to him, as an NGO, we will continue to remain dependable partners to the federal ministry of health for the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.
