COVID-19 Africa Watch talks to Dr. Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact about the importance of data in preparing for and responding to health crises.

Key Takeaways

Below are some of the main takeaways from COVID-19 Africa Watch’s conversation with Dr. Samira Asma, ‎Assistant Director-General for the Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact (DDI) of the‎ World Health Organization. This Division which was created to foster a relentless focus on results to deliver on the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and meet the Triple Billion targets, backed by the highest standards of health data.

• The SCORE global report on health data systems and capacity, 2020 was prepared by WHO and its partners and member states to bring together all the countries’ data and health information systems under one umbrella in a technical package. The report was launched in February 2021 with an accompanying Assessment Methodology, Online Data Portal, and visual summary. SCORE stands for a set of over 90 tools and solutions that countries can use based on their context and apply it to strengthen their health information systems. In August 2020, WHO launched the set of technical packages, and recently, they launched the first ever Global Report along with country-by-country assessments for about 133 countries representing almost 87% of the world’s population.
• Only 3% of public health surveys in the African region are funded by the governments, leading to dependence on external donors. But there are credible institutions and national statistical organizations in the continent which, in partnership with Ministries of Health, Interior, and Justice, should work towards gathering meaningful data. The SCORE technical package connects all these various data platforms that are necessary for any country to effectively track progress towards health-related SDGs, national public health policies, and health program improvements.
• Limited government budgets can be used smartly to collect relevant and useful data, leveraging technology. The three important ingredients for success and sustainability are: good technical excellence, good operational practices, and political commitment. For example, Zambia is the first country in the world to have used mobile phones to conduct a national survey to assess risk factors for non-communicable diseases in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Telecommunications. Whereas a household survey would take at least a year and a million dollars to be executed, this was done in a month and within a budget of a few thousand dollars.
• Digitalization can help secure privacy of patients while also improving medical record keeping in Africa. WHO has put forward a digital strategy and a data governance mechanism to support member states for digital health solutions, including division of Digital Health to provide technical support. WHO is also partnering with other UN agencies, such as International Telecommunications Union, and encouraging governments to themselves tap into Public-Private Partnerships so that the private sector can help accelerate innovation in the public sector.

The interview was conducted by Tsametse Civilian Mmolai, an IFC-Milken Institute Capital Market Scholar from Botswana Stock Exchange.