Publication: Health Information Systems Assessment for Health Systems Strengthening in Bangladesh: Policy Brief
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2024-04-23
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2024-04-23
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Over the last two decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress in improving its routine health information systems (HIS). The goal of the Bangladesh HIS is to provide accurate and timely health data required for effective decision making. The HIS thus plays a crucial role in strategic planning and is an essential component of sound program development, implementation, and monitoring, upon which improved health outcomes depend. Indeed, Bangladesh has recorded notable progress across a range of health outcomes, especially the maternal and child health outcomes over the last two decades. However, the COVID-19 pandemic can derail progress. Decades of progress in developing the health system as well as the HIS can potentially be affected. Generating adequate evidence from a properly functioning HIS is important in guiding the country’s continuous efforts to mitigate against adverse effects and sustaining progress. In this context, understanding the impact of COVID-19 on essential health and nutrition services (EHNS) including the data on key indicators at the national and sub-national levels (regional and district-wise) is a prerequisite for evidence-based policy making. Against this backdrop, an HIS assessment was commissioned with the primary objective of supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in strengthening the quality of its routinely reported administrative data. Specifically, the assessment is focused on: (a) a review of the existing HIS at the two service delivery channels of the MOHFW, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP); and (b) development of a roadmap for HIS strengthening considering long term sustainability and a culture of information use as major goals.
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“Asangansi, Ime; Mohammed-Roberts, Rianna; Hannan, Maksudul; Hulse, Matt; Nasim, Asib. 2024. Health Information Systems Assessment for Health Systems Strengthening in Bangladesh: Policy Brief. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/41461 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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