Fifty-fourth session AFR/RC54/R3 Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 30 August–3 September 2004 2 September 2004 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS FOR STRENGTHENING NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS (document AFR/RC54/12 Rev.1) The Regional Committee, Recalling resolutions AFR/RC41/R5 and AFR/RC41/R6 relating to the need to develop and strengthen health information systems at national and district levels, and resolutions WHA48.13 and AFR/RC48/R2 relating to communicable disease prevention and control and to the regional strategy for integrated surveillance of diseases and the utilization of epidemiological data for decision-making; Bearing in mind Resolution AFR/RC50/R1 calling for the development and implementation of sustainable national health policies and the setting up of mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress in the framework of the Health-for-All Policy for the 21st Century in the African Region: Agenda 2020; Deeply concerned by the inadequacy of national health information system, poorly functioning structures and lack of necessary resources required for health information at all levels; Aware of the weaknesses in the collection and analysis of data, their late processing and transmittal, and insufficient use of the available information; Recognizing the need for reliable health data to inform both strategic management and operational decisions and concerned that such data are not readily available; Noting that countries have endorsed the millennium development goals and the monitoring of the health-related indicators in the framework of national health information systems; Committed to ensuring that national health information systems properly undertake their functions of measurement and reporting of all health and related indicators; Having examined document AFR/RC54/12 Rev.1, entitled “Priority interventions for strengthening national health information systems”; 1. APPROVES document AFR/RC54/12 Rev.1 entitled “Priority interventions for strengthening national health information systems”; AFR/RC54/R3 Page 2 2. CALLS UPON Member States: (a) to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of their national health information systems in order to identify their weaknesses and needs in terms of human, financial and material resources, including means of communication and supervision; (b) to review and update national essential health indicators—targets as proposed in the regional Health-for-All Policy for the 21st Century in the African Region: Agenda 2020 and the millennium development goals—with minimum datasets which are to be collected, analysed and used regularly and timely at all levels of the national health system; (c) to adopt a policy on national health information systems that is part of the national health policy; (d) to improve the coordination and management of the various subsystems of the national health information system, recognizing that subsystems are handled by various government departments, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations; (e) to establish or strengthen national health information system units and increase investment for health information systems; (f) to ensure dissemination and effective use of data collected for day-to-day operations and strategic planning; 3. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to provide support to Member States to enable them to implement priority interventions for strengthening national health information systems; (b) to promote technological options that facilitate networking, communication, access, use and feedback of health information; (c) to provide support to countries for resource mobilization and capacity building in national health information systems; (d) to report to the Regional Committee every two years on the progress made in the implementation of priority interventions to strengthen national health information systems.
Fifty-fourth session AFR/RC54/R3 Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 30 August–3 September 2004 2 September 2004 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS FOR STRENGTHENING NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS (document AFR/RC54/12 Rev.1) The Regional Committee, Recalling resolutions AFR/RC41/R5 and AFR/RC41/R6 relating to the need to develop and strengthen health information systems at national and district levels, and resolutions WHA48.13 and AFR/RC48/R2 relating to communicable disease prevention and control and to the regional strategy for integrated surveillance of diseases and the utilization of epidemiological data for decision-making; Bearing in mind Resolution AFR/RC50/R1 calling for the development and implementation of sustainable national health policies and the setting up of mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress in the framework of the Health-for-All Policy for the 21st Century in the African Region: Agenda 2020; Deeply concerned by the inadequacy of national health information system, poorly functioning structures and lack of necessary resources required for health information at all levels; Aware of the weaknesses in the collection and analysis of data, their late processing and transmittal, and insufficient use of the available information; Recognizing the need for reliable health data to inform both strategic management and operational decisions and concerned that such data are not readily available; Noting that countries have endorsed the millennium development goals and the monitoring of the health-related indicators in the framework of national health information systems; Committed to ensuring that national health information systems properly undertake their functions of measurement and reporting of all health and related indicators; Having examined document AFR/RC54/12 Rev.1, entitled “Priority interventions for strengthening national health information systems”; 1. APPROVES document AFR/RC54/12 Rev.1 entitled “Priority interventions for strengthening national health information systems”; AFR/RC54/R3 Page 2 2. CALLS UPON Member States: (a) to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of their national health information systems in order to identify their weaknesses and needs in terms of human, financial and material resources, including means of communication and supervision; (b) to review and update national essential health indicators—targets as proposed in the regional Health-for-All Policy for the 21st Century in the African Region: Agenda 2020 and the millennium development goals—with minimum datasets which are to be collected, analysed and used regularly and timely at all levels of the national health system; (c) to adopt a policy on national health information systems that is part of the national health policy; (d) to improve the coordination and management of the various subsystems of the national health information system, recognizing that subsystems are handled by various government departments, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations; (e) to establish or strengthen national health information system units and increase investment for health information systems; (f) to ensure dissemination and effective use of data collected for day-to-day operations and strategic planning; 3. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to provide support to Member States to enable them to implement priority interventions for strengthening national health information systems; (b) to promote technological options that facilitate networking, communication, access, use and feedback of health information; (c) to provide support to countries for resource mobilization and capacity building in national health information systems; (d) to report to the Regional Committee every two years on the progress made in the implementation of priority interventions to strengthen national health information systems.