IICD supported project: ICT Policy and Strategy for the Health Sector

Countries: Uganda [UG]
Sectors: health

Summary

The National Telemedicine / Telehealth Steering Committee of the Ministry of Health is developing an implementation strategy for the ICT Health Sector Policy to facilitate efficient information and communication services to run across the entire sector. Priority areas are: improved access to health services; improved healthcare delivery through the Health Monitoring and Information System (HMIS); district health management; Telemedicine; and Continuing Medical Education (CME). The strategy will function as a guide for future investment in ICT, in relation to its particular benefits to the sector, and it serve to facilitate controlled and efficient usage of resources.

Introduction

The 1998 Ugandan Participatory Poverty Assessment Programme (UPPAP) identified ill-health as the most frequent cause and effect of poverty. Further, that if the wider face of poverty is to be addressed, then the strengthening of health sector will be critical. The Government of Uganda has embraced the use of ICT in its efforts to reduce poverty and levels of inequality. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health has developed - in line with the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) and the National ICT policy amongst others – its own Health Sector ICT Policy.

IICD supports the development of an implementation programme for the Health Sector ICT Policy to assure effective use of ICT; to avoid duplication; to harmonize current initiatives; and to better control recurrent costs. An ICT implementation strategy - developed and validated through a multi-stakeholder approach - helps to make the most effective use of ICT.

Objectives

The overall objective of this project is to create a feasible and validated implementation programme in support of the ICT Health Sector Policy. The National Telemedicine/Telehealth Steering Committee (NSTC) aims to do so by:

• Developing capabilities within the MoH for ICT policy formulation, implementation, ICT management and monitoring;
• Developing a set of fundamental ICT investment guidelines aimed at supporting the introduction, expansion and development of ICT applications within the sector that are based on harmonised ICT platforms, thus avoiding investment in incompatible systems;
• Monitoring the implementation of the ICT investment guidelines;
• Enhancing awareness and supporting training for all health workers using a “Train the Trainer” (TTT) approach using the approach of the “Resource Management Units”/ “End-User Support Centres” as described in the Health Sector ICT policy; Formulating ICT programmes identified in the Health Sector ICT Policy; and,
• Fine-tuning the Health Sector ICT Policy.

Budget

100.000 euro.

Project Owner : The National Telemedicine/Telehealth Steering Committee (NSTC) of the Ministry of Health (MoH), Uganda.

Project Contact : IICD