- West Africa Medicines Regulation Harmonization Initiative

Author: WAHO

Category: Quality Control Laboratories

Language: English

Description: Annual Joint Meeting of National Health Information System (NHIS) and Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Managers with Technical and Financial Partners in the ECOWAS Region

Abstract: The 2015 Joint Meeting of National Health Information Systems (NHIS) and of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Managers from the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) region was held May 18–21, 2015 in Accra, Ghana. Convened in the wake of the Ebola crisis, still ongoing in some member states, participants came together to discuss the theme of “Strengthening the Operational Capacity of Health Information Systems in West Africa in the Post-Ebola Period.” The conference, hosted by the Ghana Ministry of Health, was co-organized by the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with support from MEASURE Evaluation, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), and the World Health Organization (WHO). More than 150 participants from the 15 member countries that make up ECOWAS—along with regional and international partners, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector—discussed lessons learned related to the performance of health information systems, technical and policy considerations, and needs and priorities for action. By sharing information, experiences, and perspectives, the meeting provided an important framework to develop solutions to the longterm issue of achieving health information systems “interoperability” in West Africa—that is, the ability of governments, health care providers, and communities to access and exchange information about health. Meeting objectives were to:  Analyze the organization and performance of national health information systems and disease surveillance and response systems to identify strengths, weaknesses, and lessons learned in the Ebola crisis  Identify mechanisms and concrete actions to support the integration of health management information systems in member countries 6  Develop action plans to strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of national health information systems in member countries and to track implementation of proposed interventions

Essential Medicines & Vaccines

WAHO Annual Management NHISIDSR Final Report