ActionAid Malawi and the Catholic Health Commission has trained data collectors in the health sector in online data collection and reporting systems.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the training in Mponela in Dowa, ActionAid Malawi advocacy and technical coordinator Chimwemwe Kabowa said they wanted to empower data collectors to capture real time data to facilitate quick decision-making processes in the sector.
“Data collectors have been using paper-based system to capture information but now we want to migrate to digital system. So, we want to equip the data collectors with necessary skills,” she said.
Kabowa said the healthcare workers will focus on malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, among others.
Sister Margaret Lupiya, health secretary at the Catholic Health Commission in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, said the training was crucial.
“The quality of healthcare has to be informed by quality data and that means accuracy,” she said.
Salima district environmental health officer Rueben Chikadza said data collected on paper
would take time to reach its destination but digital data is transmitted instantly.
“This time with the transition to digital platforms, we will have real time data and we should be able to make quality decisions,” he said.
One of the participants, John Joshua from Chinguluwe Heath Centre in Ntchisi, said the training will help them ease their work.
“It was also difficult to keep data captured manually but with the digital system, storage will improve,” he said.
With funding from the Global Fund, ActionAid Malawi is implementing the initiative, which is part of the Covid-19 Response Project, in conjunction with the Catholic Health Commission, Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation and Malawi Network of People Living with HIV (Manet+).
