Visiting UNAIDS Executive Director Mitchel Sidibe has praised Zambia for being the first country in Africa to launch the integrated health situation room which is a computer software based innovation depicting the status of the whole health system in real time. Kenya launched a stand-alone HIV and AIDS situation room in 2015.
Mr Sidibe who is also United Nations under Secretary General was speaking at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka yesterday, 6th March, 2018 when he launched the Zambia Integrated Health Situation Room (ZIHSR) together with Vice President Inonge Wina.
Mr Sidibe stressed that data was a critical component of decision making in the larger development process adding that a healthy citizenry was a prerequisite for prosperity, stability and security of a country.
The global HIV and AIDS chief urged ministers of finance to stop treating the social sectors only as cost centres but as investment destinations which could positively contribute to the uplifting of global economies.
“A healthy population is critical for the prosperity, stability and security of a nation. As such, ministers of finance across the globe should begin to consider the social sector not as a cost but an investment destination with potential to uplifting the economies of the world,” said Mr Sidibe.
And Mrs Wina, who was representing President Edgar Lungu, said the launch of the ZIHSR was a milestone in Zambia’s e-governance agenda aimed at reducing the cost of doing business but offering increased efficiency, monitoring and accountability.
Decision makers will use the ZIHSR as a dashboard to trigger timely interventions in deficient service areas to keep them at optimal levels since the tool makes it possible for government and stakeholders to view intervention reports in real-time and communicate faster and more efficiently with the Ministry of Health staff at all levels.
Other benefits of the ZIHSR are enhanced communication between districts and among their leadership for targeted community-level action. The tool also simplifies and visualises data giving governments, donors, partners, and stakeholders clear insights to their coordinated progress and gaps.
Prepared by NAC Communications Unit
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