The Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), in collaboration with the IMPACT Project, has intensified efforts to strengthen health information systems across the state.
In the two-day-building training, the organisers distributed 342 new branded laptops to Health Information Officers (HIM) and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officers in all 57 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The training, according to the report shared on Thursday, noted that, the programme held recently at Orchid Hotel, Lekki, and the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Ikeja, focused on practical skills for computer-based data capturing.
Other skills studied during the training included DHIS2 web data entry, data analysis, and data quality assurance under the National Health Management Information System (NHMIS) digitisation initiative.
Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, Permanent Secretary of LSPHCB, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Temitope Balogun-Alo, stated that DHIS2 has been Nigeria’s official platform for health data management since 2006, capturing routine health information from more than 37,000 health facilities nationwide.
“The digitisation training is part of continuous efforts to enhance the efficiency and reliability of data flows from health facilities to local government and state levels, ” Dr Mustafa said while emphasizing the importance of the training targeting health data reporting, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and improved decision-making within the primary healthcare system.
Participants were trained on key modules, including computer applications for data capturing and synchronisation, DHIS2 core components such as data elements, datasets, indicators, and organisation units, web-based data entry and validation, techniques for data analysis using Pivot Tables, Maps, Dashboards, and Data Visualisers, as well as data quality assurance (DQA) and error resolution.
Dr Mustafa noted that the training will significantly enhance the capacity of health workers to generate high-quality health data, which is essential for planning, monitoring, and improving health service delivery across Lagos State’s Primary Health Care network.
The Director of Health Information Management, Mrs Adetokunbo Idowu, hailed the participants for their dedication and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to data-driven decision-making in the health sector.
She emphasised that reliable data is crucial for improving health outcomes across Lagos State.
LSPHCB reiterated its commitment to the continuous improvement of health information systems, ensuring that accurate and timely data remains a dependable foundation for evidence-based interventions, resource allocation, and the overall enhancement of health outcomes for Lagos residents.