Information and Communication Technologies For Development: Feasibility Study in Afghanistan's Health System

摘要

Afghanistan ranks close to the bottom on global measures of health and nutrition. Improving health and nutrition is vital to cultivating the livelihood and well-being of Afghan people. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)?has developed Basic Package of Health Services (PBHS) and Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) to address the needs pertaining to health and nutrition. The MoPH also classified high quality health care services as essential for saving lives and improving nutrition. MoPH convinces health professionals to use evidence in their decision-making. Health sectors partners articulate the need for timely and reliable data for decision-making. The availability of timely and reliable data depends on proper data management, flow and use at all levels. Improving data management and use in turn needs innovative tools and appropriate supportive systems. In many developing countries Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) is considered as revolutionizing healthcare by improving data management, flow and use for decision-making. It is also perceived to help efficient dissemination of public health information. Furthermore, the studies show that use of ICT4D in administrative systems of health care facilities brings huge gains in efficiency and cost savings. But sometimes, due to poor economic and communication infrastructure in developing countries, institution of ICT4D is accompanied with challenges and its roll out requires careful study, planning and adaptation. The literature review also confirms the need to conduct a detailed analysis of the setting, context, stakeholder perception and sustainability before any intervention. In Afghanistan, the study determined the realization of government about importance of ICT4D for agriculture, education, business, health and social sector growth as core opportunity for the feasibility of ICT4D. This realization has helped the MoPH, and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MoICT)?to set favorable strategies for wider application and scale-up. But the presence of over 100 ICT applications and databases in government agencies for human resources, geographic, financial and management systems; perceived as intensifying the contest of fragmentation and complexity. At policy level, the Afghanistan Health Sector Strategic Plan, the MoPH HIS Strategic Plan, the MoPH Medical Records Strategy, the MoPH SEHAT Project Governance and Social Accountability Component, the MoICT E Government Strategy and others provide a solid base for promotion, application and scaling up ICT4D in health sector of Afghanistan.