Maternal Health with DHIS2: Offline & Android
HISP Uganda
This project digitizes the ANC Register using DHIS2 Tracker Capture on Android devices. It aims to streamline maternal health data collection and use, especially in low-connectivity areas.
The system supports both online and offline workflows, integrating web and Android data capture tools and visualizing results in real time. Over 10,000+ clients have been enrolled in one district, with outputs used for aggregate reporting and early ANC contact tracking.
Congratulations to the HISP Uganda team on this impressive achievement in digitizing the ANC Register with DHIS2 Tracker Capture on Android—enrolling over 10,000 clients in one district is a remarkable milestone!
A few questions to learn more:
Are there plans to scale this solution to other districts or to integrate additional maternal health modules?
How was the offline ability implemented?
Once again, congratulations on this important step forward for maternal health data management in Uganda!
Thank you very much @Mark Outeke for the kind words and thoughtful questions. We are excited to share more details about our work.
Plans to Scale the Solution:
Yes, we plan to scale the ANC e-Registry system beyond Mukono district. Currently, we are piloting in all 36 public health facilities (IIs and IIIs) within the district. The pilot phase has enabled us to identify gaps, refine configurations, and assess feasibility. Following this, we intend to roll out to additional districts, guided by lessons learned and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Integration of Additional Maternal Health Modules:
Indeed, we are integrating additional modules. We have recently finalized a set of birth and death indicators and developed a dashboard for analysis and presenting visit data for pregnant women. Plans are underway to include more components such as postnatal care (PNC), immunization follow-up, and referrals to other service areas.
Offline Capability Implementation:
To enable offline data capture, we procured and distributed tablets to all 36 health facilities. High-volume centers like Nakifuma and Goma received two tablets each to accommodate their patient loads. We provided MiFi devices, selecting service providers based on network reliability in each area. The DHIS2 Tracker Capture app is installed and configured for offline use, allowing midwives to enter data at the point of care and sync when internet access is available.
Support and Sustainability Measures:
We created WhatsApp groups to communicate system updates and guide midwives whenever need arises for example, show them how to synchronize configurations regularly.
User manuals and quick guides were shared to address common issues like login errors, sync challenges, and reserved value refills.
Training sessions were conducted to orient midwives on how to access both monthly and dashboard reports via the web on their tablets.
Research Assistants (RAs) are assigned a roster to support facilities and respond to real-time issues. They were trained in basic troubleshooting, analysis, performance monitoring and are now capable of onboarding new staff or volunteers as needed.
We are grateful for the recognition and look forward to sharing more outcomes as we progress toward a more robust, integrated maternal health information system for Uganda.
