Kuunika Data for Action Project, a Ministry of Health initiative, has trained about 180 health workers from Lilongwe District in health information management systems.
Speaking during the workshop at Mponela in Dowa, the project’s health specialist Martha Saidi said the training followed a research the project conducted in 2017 which exposed health workers’ knowledge gaps in ensuring data quality and knowing the information needed.
“Based on that research, we developed a training curriculum and manual which we are using to train health workers to ensure that the data they use is of good quality and to improve patient care, resource allocation and other areas,” she said.
Saidi said the training will enable health information management systems generate complete, accurate and timely HIV-related health data across central, zonal, district, facility and community levels of care.
“It will also increase data demand, access and use by stakeholders at all levels of the national HIV-related health response,” she said.
Annie Chinoko, a medical technician at Dzenza Health Centre, described the training as enriching and that it will solve many challenges.
“Most of the people handling data management in health facilities had not undergone data handling training, but now there will be expertise.
“The training will enhance management of relevant data and timely reporting of issues,” she said.
