This community innovation has been accepted at the 2025 DHIS2 Annual Conference
Newborn/stillbirth data: IMPULSE CAR and Tanzania
BACKGROUND: High quality indicator data for newborns and stillbirths is needed for programme use for Every Newborn to survive and thrive. The IMPULSE phase 1 study was designed to assess data quality and use of newborn and stillbirth data in selected high mortality settings. METHODS: IMPULSE study researchers used the PRISM framework to explore technical, organizational and behavioural determinants of newborns and stillbirth data in health facilities and data offices (November 2022 and July 2024), using the open-access EN-MINI Tools plus a novel reserach tool exploring health and data professionals and managers’ perspectives to the RHIS. We present selected findings from CAR (n=21 sites) and Tanzania (n=47 sites). FINDINGS: Newborn and stillbirth indicators tracked by DHIS2 in Tanzania and being rolled out in CAR. Source data in health facility registers was complete but gaps in reporting, especially in Tanzania. Factors to improve data quality in health facilities ranged 23-76% in Tanzania, 0-57% in CAR. Use of data at district data offices was 6-82% in Tanzania and 0-50% in CAR and lower in health facilities. “Information Culture” at sites in CAR measured 20-40% compared to 50-80% in Tanzania. Behavioural factors showed large competence-confidence gaps for RHIS tasks, especially in health facilities with poor feedback loops. CONCLUSION: Improving the performance of DHIS2 data for vulnerable newborns and stillbirths in both CAR and Tanzania needs to include improving data competencies and data use, especially at the health facility level.
Primary Author: Donat Shamba
Keywords:
Infant, Newborn, Child Stillbirth, perinatal death data quality, data quality assessment, data accuracy data use Health information systems, Health Management Information Systems, Access to information Register, computers, internet workforce indicators, measure health facility, hospital Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) framework, EN-MINI tool
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