Increasing Health Facilities’ Access to Health Information for Decision Making and Operational Plan Development in PMI Measure Malaria Supported Districts in Madagascar

Health facilities' access to malaria information is essential for the progress and sustainability of the quality of the services and data in Madagascar. Despite country support for strengthening health information, access to data remains a challenge- partly because those who collect data do not always have access to the appropriate tools to use it. Health facilities often report their data to districts and do not have the capacity nor mechanisms to review and use their own data for decision making. This lack of access can be explained by:

• Limited computers to store and manage data
• Insufficient electricity
• Insufficient skilled personnel to use computer software
• Lack of access to land line internet

Enabling access to and visualization of key malaria indicators at the health facility level will allow health providers to improve the quality of servicedelivery. The project used the District Health Information Software, version 2 (DHIS2) malaria module and the existence of mobile internet networks to select key indicators of surveillance and service delivery at the health facility level to design malaria mobile-friendly dashboard and scorecard apps. The dashboard displays trends of the selected indicators while the scorecard helps monitor health facility performance. The DHIS2-based mobile apps are supported on Android devices and data are accessible both online and offline.