This community innovation has been accepted at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference and will be included a session.
From Burden to Value: 10 Years of DHIS2 in MSF
In 2015, Médecins Sans Frontières – Operational Centre Barcelona (MSF OCBA) implemented DHIS2 as its core Health Management Information System (HMIS) across all missions. MSF OCBA operates in diverse humanitarian contexts across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, often in resource constrained and emergency settings. Early HMIS implementation was frequently perceived as heavy, insufficiently adapted to operational realities, and of limited value for day to day decision making. Data collection was often experienced as a reporting burden rather than a tool to support care and operations. This study assesses how perceptions, use, and perceived value of DHIS2 based HMIS evolved over ten years and identifies factors influencing operational data use. Standardized surveys are conducted among HMIS users at field and headquarters levels, including operational, technical, and coordination profiles. Surveys explore perceived changes over time in HMIS usability, relevance for decision making, analytical capacity, and overall added value. Quantitative findings are complemented by open ended qualitative inputs capturing user experiences and challenges across contexts. Additional evidence is drawn from HMIS system statistics and a desk review of existing documentation. We will report on changes in user perceptions of HMIS usefulness over time, differences between field and headquarters perspectives on data use and value, and areas where HMIS supports operational decision making. Persistent challenges, including system complexity and data governance will be examined in relation to data quality, user trust, and perceived HMIS value. The findings aim to inform the next phase of HMIS evolution within MSF OCBA and may be relevant for other organizations transitioning from system expansion to consolidation in complex and resource-constrained settings.
Primary Author: Rosario Martinez-Vega
Keywords:
DHIS2, HMIS, Data use for decision-making, Humanitarian health, Implementation learning
We’re eager to attend! 
That’s nice to hear. It’s definitely a thing to hear about a 10 years experience in humanitarian health let alone when the core HMIS is DHIS2. 