Case Study Details - The EDISON Alliance - Implementing the DHIS2 to accelerate Universal Health Coverage in Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe is a Least Developed Country (LDC) as well as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), with a fragile and externally dependent economy and high poverty rates. The country witnessed an epidemiological transition, with a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases that coexist with high burden of neonatal disorders. Sao Tome and Principe faced issues with good quality data collection, validation, and decision-making due to the lack of a single health information system meeting international standards. To address this structural weakness, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Sao Tome and Principe decided to officially adopt and expand the District Health Information Software (DHIS2) platform, a free, open-source software platform for collecting, analyzing, visualizing and sharing data. World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided technical and operational support to the government of Sao Tome and Principe on the launch of DHIS2 to monitor access to health services for all, and particularly for the most vulnerable people.

Impact / Outcome

This universal health coverage pilot project will enable the most vulnerable to benefit from subsidized access to essential health services, and DHIS2 is the health information platform that will enable to monitor progress and impact by linking-up the health services with the social registry. In addition, Sao Tome and Principe used DHIS2 in its COVID-19 response, most notably, for daily reporting and monitoring of COVID-19 cases and subsequently vaccination and adverse effects.

Funding sources

Public

Key Metrics

Improve provision of quality essential health services and universal health coverage