Description of Session
Mortality and cause of death data are an important aspect of national health information. Countries need to know how many people die each year, in order to design effective public health policies (Mahapatra, 2007). In Kenya, the Civil Registration Services (CRS) registers vital statistics. Although there are steps to automate the CRS data collection system, a manual system is still in use. Some gaps include aggregated reporting and use of outdated data tools that do not capture all the causes of death as recommended by WHO. The Ministry of Health (MOH) complements the work of the CRS in reporting vital events. Health facility reported deaths are medically certified per the WHO ICD-10 standards for statistical comparability. The Kenya Health Information System (KHIS) tracker module to capture this individual level data. There are gaps in the module, it addresses many of the data challenges in CRS and can serve as an essential data source for real-time mortality data in Kenya. The project provided technical assistance to departments of health in targeted health facilities. The County ICD-10 resource persons conducted: ICD 10 trainings for certifiers and coders; structured mentorship on data quality and KHIS reporting at health facility level; advocacy to leadership and manager’s and mortality data reviews to create demand for facility mortality data. Over 50% of the targeted health facilities report cause of death data in KHIS, which has increased by 216%, from 442 events (2017) to 1398 events (Dec 2018). Outdated ICT infrastructure, poor internet connectivity and health worker attitude have hindered 100% uptake in all targeted facilities. To institutionalise KHIS event reporting and use, a government led process, regular health worker mentorship, mortality data reviews in hospitals, investment in ICT infrastructure, leadership and stakeholders’ support are pertinent.
