Assessment of Healthcare Information Systems in Sierra Leone and Liberia, 2023 Open Access
Joof, Horija (Spring 2023)
Published
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background: Public health surveillance (PHS) is incredibly significant in monitoring diseases, outbreaks, and response. Healthcare information systems (HIS) are also incredibly significant in managing healthcare services and PHS. Sierra Leone – a member of the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) is situated on the West coast of Africa with a population of approximately eight million. In Sierra Leone, there are five administrative regions subdivided into sixteen districts. Liberia – also situated on the West Coast of Africa with a population of five million – is divided into 15 regions and subdivided into 90 districts and clans. The 2014 – 2016 Ebola pandemic caused devastation in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia; there is still much support needed. Healthcare in Sierra Leone and Liberia is concentrated on family planning, antenatal and delivery care, and disease prevention through immunizations. They have HIS that are extremely weak in infrastructure; limitations include lack of servers and computers, poor internet connection, and power supply. HIS personnel lack skills for proper maintenance and development of national HIS, with a general lack of qualified IT personnel.
Methods: A systemic literature review was employed to assess the state of HIS in Sierra Leone and Liberia using relevant literature and documents available from primary and secondary sources.
Results: The current status of HIS in Sierra Leone and Liberia (post-civil war and post-Ebola outbreak) shows that technical infrastructure is unevenly distributed between rural and urban areas. This poses a challenge for designing solutions to make interoperability possible within both countries. Nonetheless, efforts have been made to build a more resilient HIS with a manageable and sustainable system. The information gathered by this analysis may be limited in some areas, but it still details the need for investment in HIS to help build a better more resilient health system and make a response to disease outbreaks or public health emergencies easier for Sierra Leone and Liberia with limited resources. There is also a need for capacity building, trained human resources, and government-backed policy for the creation and implementation of HIS.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Statement of Purpose
Chapter 2: Methods
Chapter 3: Results
3.1: Health Information Systems (HIS)
3.2: Sierra Leone Digital Health Landscape
3.3: Liberia Digital Health Landscape
Chapter 4: Discussion, Conclusion, Limitations & Recommendations
4.1: Discussion
4.2: Conclusion
4.3: Limitations
4.4: Recommendations
References
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