This community innovation has been accepted at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference as a physical poster.
A Standards-Based Approach to DHIS2 Integration.
Background: In fragile and conflict-affected settings, health systems often rely on paper-based records and manual aggregation, limiting timely reporting and data use. In Somalia, DHIS2 functions as the national HMIS for aggregate reporting, but the absence of a scaled electronic medical record (EMR) constrained access to patient-level data and increased reporting burden. To address this gap, the Ministry of Health developed RAAD (BAMNI), a national electronic health record designed for primary healthcare. Methods: A descriptive case study was conducted on the implementation of RAAD between 2023 and 2025. The implementation was guided by the WHO Global Digital Health Transformation Framework for Primary Health Care and aligned with DHIS2 interoperability and indicator standards. Assessment domains included governance, digital infrastructure, system functionality, health workforce readiness, and data quality and use. RAAD was deployed in 111 public primary healthcare facilities across six States in Somalia. Results: RAAD enabled standardized clinical data capture aligned with national HMIS registers and DHIS2 indicators, allowing routine care documentation to automatically generate DHIS2-compliant aggregate reports. Reporting completeness improved from 85% to 96%, and reporting timeliness improved from up to 15 days to same-day submission. Parallel reporting tools were reduced from an average of 15 paper-based forms to a single integrated platform. A facility landscape assessment informed infrastructure investments and system configuration. A total of 1,110 healthcare workers were trained, with 85% reporting full confidence in independent system use. Conclusion: This case study demonstrates that effective DHIS2 reporting depends on strong, standards-based clinic-level digital systems. RAAD shows how policy-aligned EHR integration can improve data quality, reduce reporting burden, and strengthen HMIS performance in fragile settings.
Primary Author: Hassan Mohamed
Keywords:
DHIS2, clinic-based systems, Integration, interoperability, electronic health records, RAAD, BAMNI, HMIS, digital health, primary health care, user satisfaction, WHO Global Digital Health Transformation Framework, Somalia
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