The Nigerian health information system policy review of 2014 : the need, content, expectations and progress.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria's national health information system (HIS) data sources are grouped into institutional and population based data that traverse many government institutions. Communication and collaboration between these institutions are limited, fraught with fragmentation and challenges national HIS functionality. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this paper was to share insights from and the implications of a recent review of Nigeria's HIS policy in 2014 that resulted in its substantial revision. We also highlight some subsequent enactments. REVIEW PROCESS AND OUTCOMES: In 2013, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health launched an inter-ministerial and multi-departmental review of the National Health Management Information System policy of 2006. The review was guided by World Health Organization's 'Framework and Standards for Country Health Information Systems'. The key finding was a lack of governance mechanisms in the execution of the policy, including an absent data management governance process. The review also found a multiplicity of duplicative, parallel reporting tools and platforms. CONCLUSION: Recommendations for HIS Policy revisions were proposed to and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The revised HIS policy now provides for a strong framework for the leadership and governance of the HIS with early results.

Duplication of effort across Development Projects in Nigeria: An example using the Master Health Facility List.

OBJECTIVE: Duplication of effort across development projects is often the resultant effect of poor donor coordination in low- and middle- income countries which receive development assistance. This paper examines the persistence of duplication through a case study of health facility listing exercises in Nigeria. METHODS: Document reviews, key informant interviews, and a stakeholder's meeting were undertaken to identify similar health facility listing exercises between 2010 and 2016. RESULTS: As an outcome of this process, ten different health facility listing efforts were identified. DISCUSSIONS: Proper coordination and collaboration could have resulted in a single list grown over time, ensuring return on investments. This study provides evidence of the persistence of duplication, years after global commitment to harmonization, better coordination and efficient use of development assistance were agreed to. CONCLUSIONS: The paper concludes by making a proposal for strategic leadership in the health sector and the need to leverage information and communications technology through the development of an electronic Health Facility Registry that can archive the data on health facilities, create opportunity for continuous updates of the list, and provide for easy sharing of the data across different country stakeholders thereby eliminating duplication. KEYWORDS: Aid Effectiveness, Donor coordination; Health Facilities; Health Information System; Health Systems; International Cooperation; Master Facility List.