Sierra Leone
Grant amount: $191,350
Details: Strategic planning for HIS strengthening, Vital Registrations system improvement plan, 10-year national plan for community-based surveys.
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New: Health Information Bulletin of the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 2nd edition 2009
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New: Better Data for Better Health Photo Story
Sierra Leone's district health information system (DHIS) captures data from hundreds of community health centres. It is designed to bring together information and enable analysis and comparison of results across the entire country.
Major priorities, goals and objectives for next 5 years
A three-year implementation plan is being developed based on a strategic plan for HIS development, which was finalized using HMN tools. This implementation plan will be more detailed than the strategic plan, providing estimated costs and funding sources.
The immediate next steps include building consensus on the implementation plan, determining baseline measurements for Reproductive and Child Health (preparing for the conduction of the DHS and Health Facility Survey), and establishing an Integrated Information Management System, i.e., Integrated Communication Technology (ICT) and capacity building to use the ICT and information.
Role of HMN in Health System Strengthening in Sierra Leone
HMN is expected to continue to coordinate and advocate for resources for the development of HIS in Sierra Leone. To develop the three-year implementation plan, a Memorandum of Understanding is to be signed between HMN and the MoHS outlining the broad areas of cooperation and support from HMN for strengthening the HIS. Additional support is to be provided through the recruitment of a National Consultant as HMN Country Adviser through WHO.
Development of the HIS strategic plan coincided with the start of the design of a strategic plan for Reproductive and Child Health, which received funding support from the World Bank’s Africa Catalytic Growth Fund and DfID. Other development partners providing funding include U.N. agencies, the U.N. Foundation and the European Union. All stakeholders have stressed the need for a strengthened HIS to underpin the process of developing and implementing the Reproductive and Child Health strategic plan. The vital and catalytic role that HMN can play in this is also well recognized.
Although HMN may not be in a position to provide substantial funding, the expert technical assistance to be offered is considered invaluable if the HIS strategic plan is to be successfully implemented. The major donors have already committed funding for implementing some aspects of the HIS strategic plan, including funding of preparatory activities for the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the Health Facility Survey.
Key Assessment Findings
The Figure below shows the average scores for the 6 different components of Health Information System that were assessed. As shown by the graph, scores for resources and data management were lowest, both of which were deemed by participants to be on average ‘not adequate at all’. Data sources also scored, on average, somewhat below the adequate level. The other components of the HIS were scored at least adequate on average.
Note that the scores should be interpreted as follows:
- 0 to 19% -- not functional
- 20% to 39% -- not adequate at all
- 40% to 59% -- present but not adequate
- 60% to 79% -- adequate
- 80% to 100% -- highly adequate
