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Open Generification in DHIS2 Ver. Upgrade Ethiopia
This study uses the concept of open generification to illustrate how the cost and time of DHIS2 version upgrade has been reduced by embedding and dis embedding DHIS2 when a local context necessitates core and application level system development.
In 2017, DHIS2 version 2.27 was contextualized and implemented nationwide in Ethiopia’s health sector. This involved adding new code to the DHIS2 core and developing applications to accommodate local requirements, including the Ethiopian calendar, fiscal year, distinct data entry interface, and associated reports.
The contextualization process involved dis embedding DHIS2 by forking it from the global DHIS2, writing new core level code, and developing applications tailoring to the local context. While DHIS2 users in Ethiopia appreciated DHIS2 for its flexibility, periodic version upgrades became essential due to the dynamic nature of health sector services, issues need to be fixed, and subsequent release of DHIS2 versions with advanced features, functions, tools and technologies.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted three version upgrades: 2.27 to 2.30 in 2019, 2.36 in 2022, and 2.40 in 2024. These updates addressed MOH indicator revisions, metadata issues, and new DHIS2 features. Earlier upgrades consumed significant time and costs for core and app level system development due to a lack of local developers skilled in the DHIS2 framework.
Currently, the cost and time for version upgrades were significantly reduced when the Ethiopian calendar has been embedded in the global core at certain level. Furthermore, international and local academies have played a crucial role in building the capacity of local DHIS2 IT experts to enhance system development. However, significant work remains in fully addressing these needs including fully embedding Ethiopian calendar at core level.
Keywords:
DHIS2, Open source, Open generification, version upgrade, embedding, dis-embedding, generic, local context, Ethiopia, resource constrained countries, Ethiopia
PosterDHIS2VersionUPgrade_OpenGener.pdf (270.4 KB)