Intergovernmental Learning Exchange to Advance Data-Driven Decision Making: Experiences from Nigeria.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Nigeria's strategic investment in digital health aims to control HIV/AIDS, meet SDG targets, and advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
• Persistent challenges in Health Information Systems (HIS) necessitate collaborative solutions.
• The nation engaged with PEPFAR, CDC, and other agencies to address HIS challenges via the I-LEAD program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail Nigeria's commitment and approach to overcoming HIS challenges through the I-LEAD program.
• To identify critical national HIS challenges and develop localized, actionable solutions.
• To strengthen Nigeria's capacity in health informatics for data-driven decision-making.

Main Methods:

• An expedited Informatics-Savvy Health Organisation (ISHO) assessment identified key HIS challenges.
• Delegates enhanced informatics capabilities through a Bring Your Own Difficult Decision (BYODD) session with SMEs.
• A three-phase approach guided the development and outlined the implementation of HIS solutions.

Main Results:

• Five critical HIS challenges were identified: governance, interoperability, data security, EMR centralisation, and funding.
• The I-LEAD program enhanced Nigeria's informatics leadership capacity, fostering collaborative solution development.
• Post-program efforts focused on improving data quality and decentralizing training through Growing Expertise in E-Health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS).

Conclusions:

• Nigeria's participation in I-LEAD strengthened its digital health agenda and capacity in health informatics.
• The program facilitated the development of localized solutions to address national HIS challenges.
• Nigeria's experience offers a potential model for other developing nations facing similar health informatics hurdles.