A Cost-Effective and Sustainable Approach for Strengthening the Capacity of Routine Health Information System Personnel in Mali

Author(s): MEASURE Evaluation

Year: 2018

Abstract:

Until recently, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Mali did not have a specific training program to provide staff with cost-effective capacity building to manage and strengthen the country’s routine health information system (RHIS). No formal mechanisms existed for recognizing and engaging the RHIS staff or to provide them a career path. In addition, most training on RHIS were organized in institutions in neighboring countries, and participation in such regional trainings typically cost more than Mali could afford.

The lack of personnel highly skilled in maintaining and managing an RHIS posed a challenge to overall health system performance. The RHIS comprises resources and tools to support data collection, processing, analysis, and interpretation—all of which are essential for producing high-quality data to inform decision making.

With these factors in mind, MEASURE Evaluation approached the University of Bamako School of Medicine’s School of Public Health to discuss how to provide such training in country. Discussions began in early 2017 and led to the creation of a university degree on RHIS in the Department of Teaching, Research in Public Health (le Département d’Enseignment et de Recherche en Santé Publique, or DERSP), using an RHIS curriculum developed jointly by MEASURE Evaluation and global partners, including several universities.

This publication is also available in the following language:
French