Digital tool adoption, participation to improve Uganda’s health outcomes

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OPINION

By Martha Dorcas Nalweyiso

Uganda is working hard to curb health problems like disease outbreaks and natural disasters. The Ministry of Health’s National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (NPHEOC) leads this effort, with support from thirteen regional emergency operations centres (REOCs) based in regional referral hospitals. These REOCs manage health emergencies in their areas.

To fix slow communication, the Ministry of Health created the Electronic Public Health Emergency Management System (ePHEM). This digital system enables health workers to quickly share crucial information, such as the disease spreading, its location, the date it started, the number of people affected and test results. This is so that everyone can respond promptly.

The system has been particularly helpful during recent outbreaks of diseases such as anthrax, measles and cholera. However, it only works if communities help by reporting unusual events, such as sudden illnesses, to village health teams (VHTs) or community health workers (CHEWs), who then pass the information on to health centres or responsible authorities.

Communities are key to making ePHEM work. If you notice something unusual, such as people getting sick suddenly or a disaster, report it to your local VHT or CHEW. They send the information to health centres, which use ePHEM to alert the right people. This teamwork helps Uganda respond faster and keeps everyone safe.

“Timely information saves lives,” the NPHEOC manager said at a recent meeting in Kampala. Leaders of the public health departments at the regional referral hospitals, which house REOCs, shared how ePHEM has improved teamwork during outbreaks, enabling them to act quickly and protect lives at both regional and national levels.

Despite ePHEM’s successes, challenges remain. Health workers will need additional training (orientation) to ensure the timely reporting of ePHEM. They also need to improve teamwork, and the country needs to work together with neighbouring countries to track and prevent diseases that are spread across borders. In addition, the Ministry of Health should recognise districts, as well as regions that effectively utilise ePHEM, to encourage others to adopt the electronic system. By embracing technology through ePHEM, Uganda will build a stronger, digitally powered health system to tackle public health crises and protect its people. 

By sharing vital information quickly through the ePHEM system, Ugandans can detect and respond to disease outbreaks on time. Together, we can prevent public health crises and build a stronger, healthier nation. Each of us has a role to play. As a community member, you should report unusual health events to the VHTs and CHEWs so that the event is captured at the nearby health facilities through the REOCs. Let’s embrace ePHEM to safeguard lives and strengthen our collective response to public health threats.

The writer is a field epidemiology fellow at the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Programme, Ministry of Health, hosted at the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre.