Spotlight on Data for Decision Making
While many countries have achieved reductions in maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality, some are still not on track to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals, and persistent sub-national inequities remain. A look at coverage levels for high-impact reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) interventions across regions and at the national level misses differences by socio-economic status, ethnic group, and rural versus urban location.
#DataforHealth are necessary to target health system performance gaps and drive equitable improvements in RMNCH care for all. Program planners and frontline health workers need actionable health data to target service improvement efforts where they are needed most.
MCSP works with countries to strengthen the RMNCH content and functioning of their health information systems, and promotes analysis, visualization and use of routine RMNCH data by district health managers and facility and community health workers. RMNCH health goals cannot be achieved without evidence-based decisions, which is why global and country metrics efforts must deepen the connection between robust measurement and improved health outcomes.
With a presence in over 32 countries, MCSP bridges country to global measurement and data use efforts, grounding global discussions in country needs and translating global evidence and resources for efficient uptake at country level.
Empowering health care providers to use improved metrics & methodologies to collect and visualize data is a critical step toward improving health outcomes.
Strategic investments are needed to ensure priority data elements and indicators are captured and used in national Health Management Information Systems.
Our Featured Resources
- Journal Article: Tracking facility-based perinatal deaths in Tanzania
- Desk Review: MNH Content of National Health Management Information Systems in 24 Countries
- Resource Package: Visualizing and Using Routine RMNCH Data at Health Facilities
- Reports on maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response implementation: Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and sub-Saharan Africa
- Brief: Indicators That Describe the Strength of the Routine Immunization System
- Brief: Improving the Generation, Quality and Use of Routine Immunization Data
- Survey Tool: Knowledge, Practice and Coverage
- Blog: Making Data More Actionable through Data Visualization
- Digital Health: Using Technologies to Build Capacity, Strengthen Data for Decision-Making, and Improve Quality of Care in Madagascar
- Report: Streamlining and Strengthening the Disease Surveillance System in Tanzania
- Brief: Measurement and Data Use for Action and Accountability
- Fostering Use of Routine RMNCH Data at the Point of Care
- Journal article: Using Geospatial Data and Analytics to Guide RMNCAH Programs
- Brief: Improved Quality of Postnatal Care in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean
- Report: National Community Health Information Systems in Four African Countries
- Review: What Data on Family Planning Are Included in National HMIS?
- Learning about Learning Experiences in Applying a Global Learning Agenda for a Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Implementation Support Project
What gets measured get done. The metrics that go into any system tracking RMNCH information send a signal to health care workers and others that these are our priorities.”
— Barbara Rawlins, MCSP Monitoring & Evaluation Team Lead Team Lead
