The Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project in Plateau State recently held a digitalization workshop aimed at transforming healthcare data reporting at primary healthcare facilities across the state. The workshop, which took place on Friday, November 8, 2024, at the Villa Grand Hotel Gold and Base Rayfield in Jos, marks a significant step toward modernizing health data systems in Nigeria.
The IMPACT project, supported by the World Bank, seeks to improve the delivery of immunization and malaria services in Nigeria, especially in underserved regions. Its focus includes four components: malaria control, immunization enhancement, knowledge for healthcare improvement, and emergency response measures. In Plateau State, the primary emphasis has been on advancing the immunization component to reduce maternal and child mortality by enhancing the training and resources available to healthcare workers
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The recent training provided laptops to healthcare centers across Plateau State’s 207 wards, allowing medical records to transition from paper to digital formats. Speaking at the event, IMPACT’s Plateau Project Manager, Nurse Kizito Ndak, explained the shift to digital data entry as a means of improving the efficiency and accessibility of health information.
“This training will simplify data reporting, reducing the time it takes to compile and access records across multiple departments,” said Ndak. “By digitizing health data, we aim to create a seamless flow of information from local health centers to national systems, making real-time data accessible through the District Health Information System (DHIS2).”
The DHIS2 platform allows data from Nigerian facilities to be shared nationally and globally. With digitalization, the IMPACT project envisions faster data reporting, enabling the government and health organizations to respond more effectively to trends and health needs.
The IMPACT project aligns with Nigeria’s Vision 2030 goal of reducing under-five mortality from 182 to 79 per 1,000 births in program areas. As part of this vision, the IMPACT project focuses on delivering quality immunization and malaria services, essential to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
With the support of Plateau State Governor Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, the project prioritizes community-level care to prevent residents from needing to travel long distances for basic health services. According to Ndak, this initiative is part of a broader effort to revitalize primary healthcare and ensure that community members have accessible, trusted medical support.
The digitalization workshop in Plateau is part of a larger nationwide training initiative, with similar sessions being conducted across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Benjamin Daniel Shankom emphasized that this digital training would enable health workers to report facility-level data directly into the DHIS2 system.
“This is a major leap for data reporting across the country,” Shankom noted. “Now, real-time data from individual health facilities can inform better decision-making and resource allocation. This is crucial for tracking healthcare utilization and reducing infant mortality.”
The IMPACT project aims to equip health facilities with the tools and knowledge necessary to improve data accuracy, which is vital for effective public health management and reporting. The broader vision includes ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for Nigerians of all ages, as outlined in the National Strategic Health Development Plan.
As the workshop concluded, Plateau State healthcare workers left equipped with new skills and digital tools to enhance health service delivery and data management.
