National mHealth Strategy inTanzania : Development Process

1. National mHealth Strategy inTanzania:Development Process Dr. Mwendwa Eunice Mwenesi, Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Presentation to the mHealth Working Group, Washington DC, December 1st, 2011

2. Current Tanzania MoHSW mHealth Priority Areas • Development and Implementation of National mHealth Strategy • Routine data collection; (HMIS) • Health logistics monitoring ( e.g. Drug stock monitoring) • Communication and training of healthcare workers; • Disease and epidemic outbreak tracking (e.g. IDSR) • Reproductive and Child Health Services. (e.g. ANC, PMTCT etc) • Education and awareness; (e.g. HIV, TB etc)

3. HMIS Precedent and Challenges HMIS is undergoing main review of its routine data collection and software (DHIS) to address key challenges facing the current Health system including:- • Lack of integrated systems limits data sources, efficiency, and sophistication of analysis. • Lack of infrastructure, human resource capacity, and policies for sustainability. • HMIS implementation and development fragmented by administrative, donor, poor infrastructure and financial barriers. • A complex paper based HIS burden to users leading to reduced efficiency. • Gap between information system and health systems managers blocks collaboration.

4. HMIS Precedent and Principles Health Metrics Network (HMN) Framework and Routine Health Information Network (RHINO) - Key principles: • Country leadership and ownership • Building upon existing initiatives • Broad-based consensus and stakeholder involvement • Gradual process with a long-term vision • Flexible responsiveness to changing needs

5. Tanzania mHealth Strategy Development Government Support for Strategy development, including the following key areas: • Strategy and Public Health ‘Business’ Alignment: Strategy and investment planning with a focus on health impacts and alignment with existing Ministry strategies • Policy and Governance: Laws, regulations, governance principles, ethics • Management: Organization of responsibilities and decision-making functions to coordinate the people, processes, and technology of mHealth; • Organization and Skills: Structure, hierarchy, resources and facilities in Ministry • Technology and Architecture: Infrastructure of a mHealth and eHealth systems

6. mHealth Strategy Initiative WorkshopKey Approaches:- • Local leadership: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare • Build on existing initiatives: Community of Practice • Demand-led: response to call for national strategy by Community of Practice members and other implementing partners • Collaborative: participatory process, common vision and elected action plans • Broad-based: stakeholders from health providers, funders, mobile operators, application developers, eHealth, technology and innovation promotion, academia and research

14. mHealth Strategy Key Approaches • Focused: targeted to health needs • Leverage global and local lessons: based on local stakeholder inputs, global literature and expert interviews, MOHSW and Deloitte’s experience with national strategies • Gradual and iterative: phased development of national strategy framework • Flexible: framework adaptable to evolving and variable needs

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