The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has called on African governments to prioritize investment in health information systems, citing incomplete birth registration, mortality data, and health statistics as major challenges to effective healthcare planning, financing, and delivery. ECA Chief of Staff Aboubakri Diaw, representing Executive Secretary Claver Gatete, made the remarks at the opening of the First Africa Health Data Forum in Nairobi. He emphasized that reliable health data are crucial for sound economic planning and efficient allocation of public resources.
Diaw used the fictional story of Tumaini, a newborn girl in Nairobi, to illustrate the consequences of inadequate health data. Tumaini's birth registration allows her needs to be reflected in public planning, but millions of Africans remain invisible to national health information systems. This lack of data affects healthcare planning, financing, and delivery, ultimately undermining the effectiveness of healthcare systems. Diaw stressed that a child who is not counted is a child who is not planned for, and a death that is not explained is money spent without learning.
Africa spends approximately $145 billion annually on health, but decisions on healthcare workers, vaccines, and public investment often rely on incomplete or outdated population and mortality data. Diaw warned that when the denominator is an estimate, the budget is partly fiction. This highlights the need for accurate and reliable health data to inform healthcare planning and financing. The ECA is advocating for health information systems to be treated as essential public infrastructure, similar to roads, schools, and hospitals.
The First Africa Health Data Forum in Nairobi brought together stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities in strengthening health data systems in Africa. The forum aims to raise awareness about the importance of health data and to mobilize action to improve data collection, analysis, and use. The ECA is working with partners to support African countries in strengthening their health data systems, with a focus on improving birth registration, mortality data, and health statistics.
The consequences of inadequate health data are far-reaching, affecting not only healthcare planning and financing but also the overall well-being of citizens. In Ethiopia, for example, the government has made significant progress in improving health data collection and analysis, but challenges remain. The ECA is working with the Ethiopian government and other partners to support the strengthening of health data systems, with a focus on improving healthcare outcomes.
The ECA's call for greater investment in health data systems is part of a broader effort to strengthen healthcare systems in Africa. The commission recognizes that reliable health data are essential for achieving universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. By prioritizing investment in health information systems, African governments can improve healthcare outcomes, reduce mortality rates, and enhance economic development.
The ECA will continue to work with African governments and partners to support the strengthening of health data systems, with a focus on improving healthcare outcomes and achieving sustainable development. The commission's efforts aim to ensure that all Africans have access to quality healthcare, and that health data are used to inform decision-making and drive progress towards universal health coverage.
Key points
- ECA urges African governments to treat health information systems as essential public infrastructure.
- Inadequate health data affect healthcare planning, financing, and delivery, ultimately undermining the effectiveness of healthcare systems.
- Africa spends approximately $145 billion annually on health, but decisions often rely on incomplete or outdated population and mortality data.
