The World Health Organization has released a report identifying significant weaknesses in health information systems across the African continent. The study, launched at the First African Health Data Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, reveals that many countries struggle to record deaths and interpret health data effectively. According to UN News, the report assessed 40 countries and found that only 19 reported notifying authorities of at least eight in 10 deaths. Furthermore, just 21 countries recorded a cause for at least eight in 10 registered deaths, indicating a persistent gap in understanding mortality trends.
The report also highlights challenges in data analysis and governance. UN News reported that fewer than 43 percent of the assessed countries have sufficient capacity to analyze health data at the clinic or hospital level, while only one in four can check data quality at that level. Financial and institutional weaknesses remain prevalent, with only 18 percent of countries reporting a dedicated budget for health information systems. Despite these gaps, progress has been made in digital adoption; 43 of the 47 countries in the WHO Africa Region have adopted digital platforms for routine health information collection.
As African nations increasingly integrate digital technologies, questions regarding data ownership and control have become central to policy discussions. Dr. Benson Droti, Team Lead for Health Information at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, emphasized that health data should serve the interests of the people and countries that generate it, rather than just the commercial interests of technology providers. In an interview with MyJoyOnline, Droti argued that providing technology should not automatically grant companies unrestricted control over national data. He noted that clear arrangements are needed regarding where data are hosted, who can access them, and how they are transferred across borders.
The forum, which runs through Thursday, is also examining the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Dr. Hillary Kipruto, a WHO technical officer, told UN News that the power for diagnostics has leapfrogged, allowing reports to be generated quickly. However, he cautioned that enabling legislation is necessary to ensure AI is used responsibly. Droti added that AI models developed outside Africa may not always be suitable due to differences in languages and disease patterns, suggesting that local capacity building is essential for evaluating these tools effectively.