WHO warns poor health data systems could delay lifesaving interventions across Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 10 – More than half of African countries assessed by the World Health Organization (WHO) are failing to adequately record deaths, raising concerns that preventable health risks could go undetected and delay interventions that could save lives.

A new WHO report has revealed significant weaknesses in health information systems across the continent, with only 19 of the 40 countries assessed reporting that at least 80 per cent of deaths were notified to authorities.

The assessment also found that only 21 countries recorded the cause of death for at least 80 per cent of registered deaths, limiting the ability of health authorities to identify patterns of preventable mortality and address gaps in healthcare delivery.

“Based on an assessment of 40 countries in the WHO African Region, the report reveals major weaknesses in the systems governments rely on to understand why people are dying, identify emerging health threats and direct health services and resources where they are most urgently needed,” WHO said.

The findings are contained in a report titled The Maturity and Functionality of Health Information System in the WHO African Region, which highlights shortcomings in how governments collect, analyse and use health information to guide public health decisions.

The report warns that inadequate documentation of deaths and their causes could leave recurring health risks unidentified, including complications during childbirth, weaknesses in emergency care and gaps in referral services.

Beyond death registration, the assessment identified major weaknesses in the capacity of health facilities to analyse and verify the information they collect.

Only 43 per cent of countries reported having sufficient capacity to analyse health data at facility level, while just 25 per cent said they had adequate capacity to assess data quality.

Additionally, only 48 per cent of countries reported conducting quarterly health data quality checks, raising concerns about the reliability of information used to guide decisions on staffing, medicines, equipment and healthcare resources.

Conducted in 2024 across 40 of the WHO African Region’s 47 Member States, the assessment gave the region an overall health information system maturity score of 59 out of 100.

Country scores ranged from 26 to 93, highlighting significant disparities in the development and functionality of national health information systems.

Financing and governance also emerged as major constraints, with only 18 per cent of countries reporting a dedicated budget line for health information systems.

The assessment further found that only 35 per cent had an up-to-date national health information system policy, while 55 per cent reported having an updated five-year national strategy.

Despite progress in digital reporting, the report found that many countries still lack integrated systems capable of providing a complete picture of patients’ health needs.

Although 43 of the region’s 47 Member States have adopted digital platforms for collecting and reporting routine health information, only 20 per cent of countries assessed had implemented digital patient medical records.

Less than half, at 48 per cent, had established frameworks allowing different health information systems to exchange data, leaving information from hospitals, laboratories and other health services fragmented.

The report’s findings were unveiled Tuesday during the opening of the First Africa Health Data Forum in Nairobi, which runs from November 10 to 12 and brings together health ministers, senior government officials, WHO representatives and development partners.

The forum is expected to provide a platform for countries to examine the gaps, exchange experiences and identify investment priorities for strengthening health information systems.

Country experiences highlighted in the report demonstrate how reliable data can improve healthcare planning and service delivery.

In Zimbabwe, maternal and perinatal death reporting previously depended on paper-based records that could take weeks or months to reach decision-makers, delaying the identification of preventable risks.

In Nigeria’s Bauchi State, health authorities used vaccination data and community-level information to identify children who had missed routine immunisation and target underserved communities.

To address the challenges, WHO launched the Regional Health Data Hub in August 2026, a digital platform designed to bring together information from different health programmes and provide a more comprehensive picture of population health.

The platform is intended to help decision-makers analyse health trends, identify underserved populations and direct resources to areas where they are most urgently needed.

Discussions at the Nairobi forum will also explore how digital health technologies, artificial intelligence and other innovations can strengthen health information systems and improve the responsiveness of healthcare services.