REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTH INFORMATICS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES: BETWEEN OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: There is a wide-reaching consensus that health should be a priority in national development plans. This is why the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 is aimed at securing good health for all. If the SDG 3 is to be a reality, there is a need to consider alternatives to the present traditional health system in sub-Saharan African countries. The implementation of health informatics, which is currently the focus of attention in the health sector, presents a huge opportunity with the potential to revolutionize the health systems of developing nations, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to reducing child mortality and infant death rates, providing high-quality healthcare in the region will help combat the challenges posed by preventable diseases and premature deaths that affect many sub-Saharan countries. Ensuring the quality of healthcare also depends on improving information quality, as accurate, timely, and reliable data are essential for effective decision-making and patient care. If the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is to be achieved, this issue must be addressed.
Methods: This study reviews research on health information systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The search used medical databases (PubMed and Scopus) and found articles with keywords like "health," "information," "Africa," and "informatics.” It also focused on both benefits and challenges of digital health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The articles were categorized into health information's potential benefits, its application, and barriers and opportunities to set up these systems. This review summarizes the current state of health technology in sub-Saharan Africa, identifies key trends and research gaps, and provides useful insights for health workers, governments, and NGOs.
Results: Studies show that health informatics implementation in sub-Saharan Africa is still far behind where it should be. This analysis uncovers challenges in the deployment of health informatics into the health sector. It identifies infrastructure as well as other limitations and how they can be overcome to help enable the realization of quality healthcare in the region. This will improve the quality of healthcare information, helping to facilitate effective healthcare delivery. Documenting the insufficient current status of healthcare informatics in the health sectors of SSA countries’ health systems helps to highlight the potential contribution that informatics can make to health care in the region.
Conclusion: The findings help provide a baseline of current knowledge to support efforts to implement health informatics in sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords:
Healthcare, Informatics, Information quality, Health sector, Sub-Saharan Africa
Article Details
How to Cite
LAWANSON, Olayemi Michael; BERLEANT, Daniel; AJIFERUKE, Oluwatomiwa.
REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTH INFORMATICS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES: BETWEEN OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 13, n. 5, may 2025.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/6554>. Date accessed: 21 june 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i5.6554.
Section
Review Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
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10. Ehidiamen, AJ, Oladapo, OO. The role of electronic data capture systems in clinical trials: Streamlining data integrity and improving compliance with FDA and ICH/GCP guidelines. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2024; 20(1), 321-334.
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12. Garoon, JP, Duggan, PS. Discourses of disease, discourses of disadvantage: A critical analysis of national pandemic influenza preparedness plans. Social Science & Medicine, 2008; 67(7), 1133-1142, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.06.020.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60480-2.
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15. Miah, SJ, Ahsan, K, Msimangira, KAB. An approach of purchasing decision support in healthcare supply chain management. Operations and Supply Chain Management, 2013; 6(2), 43-53.
16. Nadri, H, Rahimi, B, Timpka, T, Sedghi, S. The top 100 articles in medical informatics: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Medical Systems, 2017; 41(10), 150, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-017-0792-1.
17. O'Donoghue, J, Herbert, J. Data management within Health environments: Patient sensors, mobile devices, and databases. Journal of Data and Information Quality (JDIQ), 2012; 4(1), 5, https://doi.org/10.1145/2378016.2378019.
18. Nyamtema, AS. Bridging the gaps in the health management information system in the context of a changing health sector. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 2010; 10(1), 36, https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-10-36.
19. Crossette-Thambiah, G, Berleant, D, AbuHalimeh, A. An information quality framework for managed health care. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 2024; 16, 343-364.
20. AbouZahr, C, Boerma, T. Health information systems: The foundations of public health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2005; 83(8), 578-583.
21. Shao, H. Machine learning for mortality risk prediction in ICU patients. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 2012; 45(5), 1025–1033, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbi.2012.06.002.
22. Motsoaledi, A. South Africa’s healthcare is declining. Mail & Guardian, 2012,
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-09-07-motsoaledi-sa-health-care-declining.
23. World Economic Forum. The 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum: Resilient dynamism. Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2013.
24. Al-Yaseen, HM. Challenges of implementing health care information systems in developing countries: Using mixed method research. Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, 2012; 3(11), 1521-1525.
25. Mbarika, VWA, Kifle, M. Telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Tele-Ophthalmology and eye care in Ethiopia. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2006; 57(10), 1383-1393.
26. Wotton, JT, Tsao, JI, Bunikis, J, Barbour, AG. An ecological approach to preventing human infection: Vaccinating wild mouse reservoirs intervenes in the Lyme disease cycle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004; 101 (52), 18159-18164, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0405763101.
27. Garrib, A, Stoops, N, McKenzie, A, et al. An evaluation of the District Health Information System in rural South Africa. South African Medical Journal. 2008; 98(7), 549-552.
28. Coiera, E. Medical informatics. BMJ, 1995; 310, 1381-1386.
29. Hayrinen, K, Saranto, K, Nykanen, P. Definition, structure, content, use and impacts of electronic health records: A review of the research literature. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 2008; 77(5), 291-304.
30. Ojo, EO. Mechanisms for conflict management in plural and divided societies: The Nigerian experience. IFRA Special Research Issue, 2006(2), 19-39.
31. Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Meeting. E-health: Challenges and opportunities, 2008, http://commonwealth.live.poptech.coop/files/178273/FileName/HMM_G__08_6-EHealthSurvey2.pdf.
32. Anyangwe, SCE, Mtonga, C. Inequities in the global health workforce: the greatest impediment to health in sub-Saharan Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2007; 4(2), 93-100.
33. Bukachi, F, Pakenham-Walsh, N. Information technology for health in developing countries. Chest, 2007; 132(5), 1624-1630.
34. Ali, J, Onoja, FOS, Awelewa, O, Akogu, SP, Onoja, SI. Poor availability of information communication and technology in Sub-Saharan Africa health sector: A case study of Nigerian health facilities. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries, 2021; 15(1), http://www.jhidc.org.
35. Ceo, O, In, A, Yi, E, Pa, A, Dambo, I, & Ma, I. Assessment of ICT usage in healthcare service systems: A case study of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. International Journal of Computer Science Trends and Technology, 2013; 6(1), 58-65.
36. Oyegoke, L. Adoption and utilization of ICT in Nigeria hospitals. 2013,
https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:168098447.
37. Gambo, I, Soriyan, A, & Ikono, R. Framework for enhancing requirements engineering processes: A conceptual view of health information system. International Journal of Computer Applications, 2014; 93(19), 19-26, https://doi.org/10.5120/16188-5284.
38. Gambo, I, Oluwagbemi, O, Achimugu, P. Lack of Interoperable Health Information Systems in Developing Countries: An Impact Analysis. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries, 2011; 5(1).
39. Lun, KC. Challenges in medical informatics: Perspectives of an international medical informatics organization. Methods of Information in Medicine, 2002; 41(1), 60-63.
40. Grimson, J, Grimson, W, Flahive, MC, Foley, C, O'Moore, R.A multimedia approach to raising awareness of information and communication technology amongst healthcare professionals. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 2000; 58-59(1), 297-305.
41. Jha, AK, DesRoches, CM, Campbell, EG, et al. Use of electronic health records in U.S. hospitals. New England Journal of Medicine, 2009; 360(16), 1628-1638.
42. Gaylin, DS, Moiduddin, A, Mohamoud, S, Lundeen, K, Kelly, JA. Public attitudes about health information technology and its relationship to health care quality, costs, and privacy. Health Services Research, 2011; 46(3), 920-938.
43. Ohemeng-Dapaah, S, Pronyk, P, Akosa, E, Nemser, B, Kanter, AS. Combining vital events registration, verbal autopsy and electronic medical records in rural Ghana for improved health services delivery. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 2010(160), 416-420.
44. Black, AD, Car, J, Pagliari, C. The impact of eHealth on the quality and safety of health care: A systematic overview. PLoS Medicine, 2011; 8(1), e1000387, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000387.
45. Cusack, C. M. Electronic health records and electronic prescribing: Promise and pitfalls. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 2008; 35(1), 63-79.
46. Dzenowagis, J. Bridging the Digital Divide: Linking Health and ICT Policy. CRC Press, 2005.
47. Aime, CM, Miller, AN, Aoki, T, et al. How to publish a new fungal species, or name, version 3.0. Nomenclature, 2021; 12(11).
48. Meindl, RS, Lovejoy, CO. Ectocranial Suture Closure: A Revised Method for the Determination of Skeletal Age at Death Based on the Lateral-Anterior Sutures. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1985; 68, 57–66. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.1 330680106.
49. Soriyan, HA, Mursu, AS, Akinde, AD, Korpela, MJ. Information systems development in Nigerian software companies: Research methodology and assessment from the healthcare sector’s perspective. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2001; 5(4), 1-18.
50. Sahay, S. Introduction to the special issue on "IT and health care in developing countries." The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2001; 5(0), 1-6.
51. Korpela, M, Soriyan, HA, Olufokunbi, KC, Mursu, A. Made-in-Nigeria systems development methodologies: An action research project in the health sector. In C. Avgerou & G. Walsham (Eds.), Information technology in context: Studies from the perspective of developing countries, 2000; 134-152.
52. Alwan, A, Ali, M, Aly, E, Badr, A, Doctor, H, Mandil, A. Strengthening national health information systems: Challenges and response. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2016; 22(11), 840-850.
53. Dhaliwal, SS, Welborn, TA, Goh, LG, Howat, PA. Obesity as assessed by body adiposity index and multivariable cardiovascular disease risk. PLoS One, 2014; 9(4), e94560.
54. Hanseth, O, Heywood, A, Faxvaag, T. Developing health information systems in developing countries: The flexible standards strategy. MIS Quarterly, 2007; 31(2), 381-402.
55. Lucas, H. Information and communications technology for future health systems in developing countries. Social Science & Medicine, 2008; 66(10), 2122-2132.
56. Ndira, S, Rosenberger, KD, Wetter, T. Assessment of data quality and staff satisfaction with an electronic health record system in a developing country (Uganda): A qualitative and quantitative comparative study. Methods of Information in Medicine, 2008; 47(6), 489-498.
57. Daini, O, Korpela, M, Ojo, J, Soriyan, H. The computer in a Nigerian teaching hospital: First year experience. In MEDINFO, Amsterdam, 1992; 230-235.
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