This community innovation has been accepted at the 2025 DHIS2 Annual Conference
Climate-Health Integration in Sri Lanka Using DHIS
Introduction The Health Information Unit (HIU) of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health has initiated the Climate Health Platform to integrate climate-related data into public health decision-making. This project aligns with the country’s digital health transformation, aiming to identify use cases for secondary data, streamline data flows, and address system integration gaps. As climate change increasingly impacts public health, this platform represents a critical step toward building a resilient healthcare infrastructure in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) context. Objectives The primary objectives are to integrate climate and environmental data with health information systems to enhance public health decision-making. The initiative seeks to streamline data flows, identify gaps for system integration, and develop a collaborative governance model involving diverse stakeholders. Additionally, the project leverages DHIS2’s capabilities to create a scalable and sustainable platform for climate-health integration. Case Study The project employs a multi-sectoral approach, sourcing climate data from the Department of Meteorology and ERA5 climate reanalysis data, while air quality data is obtained from the National Building Research Organization and the Ministry of Environment. Health sector stakeholders include the National Dengue Control Unit, Anti-Malaria Campaign, Leishmaniasis Control Programme, Anti-Filariasis Campaign, and the Family Health Bureau for maternal and child nutrition. The Medical Statistics Unit provides inpatient morbidity and mortality data, and hospital information systems contribute outpatient encounter data and insights from healthy lifestyle clinics. Results The Climate Health Platform is under development, with significant progress in capturing and integrating climate and air quality data into DHIS2. The platform has established a foundation for data integration, leveraging DHIS2’s robust analytics and visualization capabilities. However, some vector-borne disease programs and hospital systems are not yet directly linked. Efforts are ongoing to integrate these systems using APIs and the DHIS2 Climate and Health app. Collaboration with the University of Oslo’s Climate and Health initiative and HISP Sri Lanka enhances technical support and data integration capacity. Lessons Learned Engaging multiple stakeholders across sectors is essential for comprehensive data integration. The flexibility and scalability of DHIS2 make it ideal for integrating climate and health data in LMICs. Developing internal expertise in DHIS2 customization and analytics is critical for sustainability. Partnerships with international and local technical experts enhance implementation and innovation.
Primary Author: Ashan Diunugalge
Keywords:
Climate Health Platform, DHIS2, Sri Lanka, Data Integration, Public Health, Climate Change, Health Information Systems, Vector-Borne Diseases, Collaborative Governance, Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), Analytics, Resilience
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