Utilization of the District Health Information Software (DHIS) in Botswana: from paper to electronic based system

Abstract

Concerns on the status of Botswana’s health information systems were raised as early as the late 1980s. Several assessments overtime revealed weaknesses in the system including fragmentation, weak approaches to data collection, management, reporting, dissemination and use. A number of initiatives designed to improve the HIS were also undertaken. The BEANISH (Building Europe Africa collaborative Network for applying Information Society Technologies in the Healthcare Sector) as one of the initiatives aimed to address the issue of poor data coordination, management and reporting through a data warehousing system, the District Health Information Software. Rapid assessment was conducted as part of Routine Data Quality Assessment to determine the capacity of the District Health Management Teams to collect, analyse, and use data. Several challenges were cited including inadequate IT infrastructure including computers and unreliable internet access; limited skills in using the system and inadequate human resource capacity. There is need for more investment and leadership for health information management.