INFORMATION is pivotal to decision-makers as it gives them strategic direction to improve in service delivery.
This is the rationale behind the Public Health Information System (PHIS) programme that was launched by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with partners Australian Aid (AusAid) and the Grant Management Unit.
Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma said the system will provide information that will assist the Ministry in optimising existing programmes in the pursuit of improved service delivery.
“Information is strength because if you are informed, you know what to do. It gives us strategic direction and as a result we are able to fine-tune our decision-making,” he said.
The PHIS, which is funded through a $1.4m grant from AusAid, is a database that will contain information, mostly statistics, pertaining to immunisation, type of care given to pregnant mothers, diseases and many other important information.
Nurses at health stations in rural areas will fill in the data form manually and this will then be taken to the sub-divisional level where the information will be fed into the main database. This information will also be made available to public healthcare professionals in urban centres.
“We now have a system for monitoring pertinent indicators on maternal and child health, NCDs, nutrition, medicine stock outs, and outpatient conditions among other components of public health interest,” Dr Sharma said.
The PHIS programme puts Fiji ahead of other Pacific island country as it has taken concrete steps to fulfill World Health Organisations building blocks for health system.
AusAid representative, Ms Margaret Vuiyasawa, said the health systems such as PHIS are vital any health sector that require quality data to plan for and ensure that the workforce is fully funded and adequately equipped.
“Further to this, the WHO identifies health information as one of the six building blocks of a strong health system.”
-ENDS-