Representatives of the different stakeholders in the health of the Visayas Region participated in the first sub-national Health Information System (HIS) Forum on 14-16 May 2012. The participants agreed on a collaborative working environment to be able to share health data for improved services.
What the Forum Achieved
The participants reviewed the current state of the health information system in the region. Moreover, through their active interaction in the forum, they harmonized and bridged the gaps in the Philippine Health Information System, and the Visayas Health Information System.
From the perspective of the different sectors, the participants also developed a shared awareness of their leadership roles in strengthening their very own Health Information System. They shared success stories of improved HIS and multi-sectoral efforts, both in the local and national levels. They were able to recognize good collaborative mechanisms, and to identify next steps to strengthen health information systems.
Key Outcome
A collaborative working environment in the region is the key outcome in this forum. They agreed to share quality health data, to improve health policy decision-making and delivery of health services.
This multi-sectoral coordination is the first of many steps in gathering quality health information, for efficient and effective public health management.
The Participants to the Forum
The participants to the forum come from different sectors who have a stake in health information, namely: DOH Centers for Health Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Statistics Office, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, local government units, academe, private sectors, and development partners such as HealthPro and HealthGov. The Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization convened this forum jointly.