Meeting was held January 18, 2006 World Bank Offices Washington, DC

Program Description:

Health management information systems (HMIS) are specifically designed to promote greater delivery and monitoring of services in the health care field. In relation to HIV/AIDS, these systems are particularly critical for tracking the availability, use and access to medicines for opportunistic infections, AIDS, Malaria, TB and other diseases. While paper-based systems are still the norm in many developing countries, a number of countries have adopted and/or are exploring the innovative use of newer technologies (e.g., those which are computer, e-mail and Internet-based) to provide greater levels of efficiency - and accountability -- to critical local and national health care systems.

Objectives:

The purpose of the videoconference and roundtable panel discussion -- is to examine the current evidence-basis for HMIS promoting greater efficiency within health care systems and with specific attention to the technical, financial and human resource implications of HMIS deployment in Africa. As many countries launch large-scale HIV/AIDS treatment programs, new strategies to manage patient information are becoming increasingly critical. This event will reflect on the challenges of implementation of HMIS at the country level (Ethiopia and Rwanda) and provide an overview from service providers to assist Bank staff, task managers, health professionals and partners in looking at the complementarities of the systems currently in use in selected countries in Africa.

Presenters

U.S. Government
- Bob Mayes, Associate Director for Strategic Information, CDC Ethiopia
- Xenophon Santas, Informatics Team, CDC

World Bank
- Elizabeth Lule, Manager, AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica)
- Kei Kawbata, Sector Manager, Health Nutrition and Population

Corporate Council on Africa
- Victor Barnes, Director, HIV/AIDS Initiative

Commercial HMIS operators working in Africa
- Paul Meyer, Chairman, Voxiva
- Jeff Butler, CEO, BroadReach Healthcare
- Barry Sender, CEO, Disease Management Services, plc,

National stakeholder presenters
from Rwanda and Ethiopia (videoconference only)

 

For conference information and meeting outcomes, please contact Caroline Hope (202) 835-1115