Amref Health Africa in Malawi, in partnership with Ministry of Health, Last-Mile Health and D-Tree, has embarked on an initiative to train and deploy Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in digital information collection and data sharing in Integrated Community Health Information System (ICHIS) in Chitipa district.
The initiative will run from 23rd October to 3rd November aimed at championing digital information collection as well as data sharing.
Amref Digital Health Specialist, Maxwell Mhone
Amref Digital Health Specialist, Maxwell Mhone said during the training at Kawale School in Chitipa that the importance of the training is to significantly improve health care services through data collection and sharing in the district.
“This will ensure that even in remote and underserved communities will have access to quality health care,” he said.
Mhone observed that HSAs will be equipped with Ichis to improve accuracy and efficiency of data collection, enabling quicker and more informed health care decisions.
He added: “The system promotes a holistic approach to health care, covering family planning, immunization, disease surveillance ensuring that there is comprehensive health support at community level.”
Mhone said previously there were challenges like lack of streamlined data collection system leading to inefficiencies and delays in health care response as well as manual paper work which was a burden and prone to errors.
Mhone said the introduction of the system and tablet technology has addressed the challenges, enhanced data accuracy and facilitating better health care outcomes in the district.
The training and deployment of HSA’s in Ichis is part of the MK 1.2 billion Technical Assistance Grant that Amref Health Africa is implementing in Partnership with the Ministry of Health Community Health Services Section to support implementation of 2023-2030 National Community Health Strategy
