The Health Information Systems Project HISP in Tanzania

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The Health Information Systems Project (HISP) in
Tanzania
2nd ANNUAL NATIONAL ICT PROJECTS WORKSHOP 18th
December 2003, Diamond Jubilee, DAR-ES-SALAAM

• Juma Lungo
• University of Dar es Salaam
• Department of Computer Science

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Background

• It is a network project in many developing
  countries South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and
  now in Tanzania.
• - enabling sharing and transferring of
  expertise among different countries
• It includes a District Health Information
  Software as a tool for enhancing the use of data
  and information within the health sector.

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Project Objective

• To design and implement District Health
  Information Software (DHIS)
• To support the development of an Excellent and
  Sustainable District Health Information Systems
• To collaborate with University institutions in
  delivering Health and Management Information
  Systems (HMIS) Courses for health workers
• Rationale
• The DHIS is a health data analysis tool for all
  the data captured through the Health Management
  Information System of Tanzania (MTUHA) and other
  programs like TB/Leprosy, IDWE, and population
  data (DSS) which are currently collected and
  analysed manually at the district level.

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Project Management

• Address Secretary, HISP Tanzania, Department of
  Computer Science, University of Dar es Salaam, P.
  O. Box 35062, Dar es Salaam. Tel.[phone]
  00

BOARD MEMBERS
COORDINATOR
SECRETARY
Project Members
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HISP Tanzania Members

• HISP is composed of a group of Computer and
  Public Health Professionals from the University
  of Dar es Salaam, University of Oslo, Institute
  of Finance Management, and Ministry of Health
• Participating Researchers Come from
• MUCHS 2 members
• CS/UDSM 4 members
• IFM 1 member
• UIO 1 member
• MTUHA/MoH 2 members
• The project is running under the Department of
  Computer Science, University of Dar es Salaam

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Project Cost

• It cost 8,800.00 to run the project in one
  district per year
• The project is running in 5 districts and thus
  the total cost per year is 44,000.00
• The project is estimated to run for 10 years
• NUFU through the University of Oslo is funding
  project administrative and running costs
• NORAD is funding a course HMIS to be conducted
  by the Department of Computer Science, University
  of Dar es Salaam in collaboration with Malawi
  Medical College

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The HISP Tanzania database

• The DHIS is inline with the implementation of
  District Reform Sector Programmes throughout
  Tanzania empower the local levels with reliable
  and timely information
• Designed to work at four levels Facility,
  district, regional, and national
• Data can be imported/exported from either levels
• Is free open source multilanguage software
  Swahili and English
• One can work on the same data in Swahili or
  English

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The HISP Tanzania database

• Modularised software
• Health data elements are stored as database
  records, thus can be changed without redesigning
  the software
• Various modules for TB, DSS, and Facility
  Infrastructures all working together
• Presents reports as standard reports and user
  defined reports
• Has the capability of exporting the raw data into
  Excel Spreedsheets (pivot tables)
• Developed to run Microsoft Platforms

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Project Output and Progress

• The DHIS is a computer database that capture data
  from the district-processing file (DPF) at the
  district medical offices
• Since its inception in January 2002, DPF reports
  2001 2002 of health data from Kibaha and
  Bagamoyo districts were computerised in DHIS
• Presentations were made at the HMIS section of
  the Ministry of Health
• Conference papers were delivered at two different
  Internal conferences in South Africa

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The DHIS in Swahili Language
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Data Capture Screen of the DHIS
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Notable Findings
This DHIS report shows high TBAs delivery rates
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Notable Findings
Only one Indicator out of eight is above the
threshold value
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Notable Findings

• The DHIS reports for Bagamoyo district health
  data (2001) shows that most of the private
  facilities didnot submit their quarterly and
  annually reports
• Through the DHIS, it is found that number of BCG
  dose 1 given is not equal to number Polio dose 1
  given although the two were given to the same
  population group at the same place/district
• The DHIS can perform dropout analysis in order to
  trace the trend of routine vaccination such as
  polio, BCG and Tetunus

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Project Supporters/Partners/Stake Holders

• The Ministry of Health in Tanzania
• National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR)
• University of Dar es Salaam
• Presidents Office of Regional Administration and
  Local Governance in Tanzania
• University of Oslo
• COSTECH
• HISP Tanzania is a registered Project at the
  Tanzania Commission for Scince and Technology
  (COSTECH)

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Conclusion

• While it is difficult to accommodate all software
  user requirements in one release, the DHIS is
  promising to satisfy the need of health
  information officers (MTUHA coordinators)
• The DHIS is supporting interoperability in that
  data can be exported from district level to the
  regional level and to the national level
• Currently the focus of HISP Tanzania is to
  implement the DHIS at the district level
• Since the DHIS is being developed by higher
  institutions, its sustainability is guaranteed

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THANK YOU ALL
Contacts E-mail jlungo_at_udsm.ac.tz