U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) www.usaid.gov seeks applications to help “Haiti USAID-Port Au Prince” develop a five year Strategic Health Information System (HIS). The HIS is expected to help the Government of Haiti implement and manage the “System d’Information Sanitaire Nationale Unique” (SISNU).
The health management information system will be used to track multiple indicators across a variety of health-related issues available from health institutions. The funding opportunity notice enables applicants to develop and propose a detailed technical application to include high impact, cost effective, and market-based interventions.
The lack of a comprehensive information system capable of tracking and mapping access to health services and obtain health outcomes and information on disease outbreaks, hinders the Government of Haiti’s (GOH) in responding to the healthcare needs of Haiti’s population.
Since the implementation of SISNU and GOH’s adoption of the system, data collection methods are mostly but not always standardized. One of the main challenges to the system is the plethora of donors in the country where each donor uses a different system with different areas of focus and indicators tied to projects, plus they operate with separate funding streams.
Another challenge is the lack of technology within health facilities. In order for SISNU to function properly, the data must be entered electronically at some point in the process. However, the technology required for electronic data entry does not exist in all health facilities. The situation is that many health facilities particularly in rural health facilities lack computers and do not always have access to the internet.
Another challenge relates to the frequency of staff turnover. The Ministry of Health (MOH) staff in Haiti receives training on SISNU and health management information systems, but there is frequent staff turnover which then requires constant training and retraining of MOH health facility staff at multiple levels to ensure proper use and management of the system.
USAID issued the funding opportunity notice (RFA-521-17-000008) https://www.grants.gov on March 3, 2017 for $12,000,000 with a closing date of April 7, 2017.