e-Health Strategy 2017-2021

Abstract

The Government of the Republic of Zambia through its ongoing health sector reforms aims to improve health outcomes. As a part of these reforms the Ministry of Health had developed, among other strategies, the National Health Strategic Plan (2011 to 2015) and the eHealth strategy (2014 to 2016) to guide priority setting and deployment of resources in the health sector. Although implementation of the strategies promised to produce many positive results, realising the best outcomes in the face of increasing pressures on the healthcare system requires a fundamental transformation in the way health care is delivered and managed. The Ministry of Health recognizes the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) in transforming healthcare delivery by enabling information access and supporting healthcare operations, management, and decision making. However, the Zambian health sector is still characterized by a fragmented landscape of ICT pilot projects and numerous data and health information system (HIS) silos with signicant barriers to the effective sharing of information between healthcare participants. Although the government, partners, and private institutions are continuing to invest in various ICT initiatives, in the absence of a national plan and coordination, there is a real risk of continued duplication, ineffective utilization of resources, and the creation of new solutions that cannot be integrated or scaled across the continuum of care. Information and Communication Technologies have, over the past few years, signicantly impacted many aspects of society and have the potential to impact positively on the delivery of health care services. The development of the national eHealth Strategy 2017-2021 therefore comes at a critical moment when the capability of ICTs to support and transform health care has been widely recognized. The purpose of this strategy is to use ICTs to leverage service delivery for successful implementation of eHealth systems. The development of this strategy coincides with the Government of Zambia adopting a different paradigm through the implementation of a “SMART Zambia Now”. It is my considered view that, with appropriate levels of commitment and support from the Government, health workers, Cooperating Partners (CPs) and other key stakeholders, this strategy will signicantly contribute to the improvement of the management of the health sector. I therefore, urge all stakeholders involved in the implementation of the eHealth strategy to familiarize themselves with this important document. The Ministry is fully committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the strategy.