Bangladesh has planned to develop a new national electronic database titled civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) from next year to record and document vital information of the people, including health data, for providing better services and for policy-making.
The CRVS system will record and document information about birth, death, marriage, poverty, migration and even social problems like early marriage, said Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad, additional director at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) yesterday.
The CRVS system will incorporate all existing data, including electoral rolls, death and birth registration data, maintained by various agencies, he said.
Dr Azad disclosed it at the inauguration of a two-day South Asian regional health informatics conference on e-health and m-health for universal coverage of maternal and child health at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital.
The Management Information System of the DGHS is organising the event with support from WHO, GIZ and UBS Optimus Foundation.
“This (CRVS) will be a common shared data platform for use by the government and non-government sectors, where applicable,” Dr Azad explained to The Daily Star on the sideline of the conference.
The cabinet division and the A2I programme of the Prime Minister's Office are coordinating the CRVS initiative. The Canadian government, World Bank and other partners will provide technical assistance to the project, he added.
Experts on IT, medicine and public health from home and abroad at the conference said effective use of ICT, including mobile technology, can significantly improve maternal and child health and reduce their mortality rates.
“Ultimate target of using e-health and m-health is to ensure universal health coverage. The CRVS is the backbone of it, meaning that each and every individual will be listed and their health needs be met on time,” said Prof Alain B Labrique, director at the Johns Hopkins University Global mHealth Initiative, USA.
Bangladesh is one of the very few countries in Asia already using e-health and m-health, he said adding Bangladesh has a digital vision, and e-health strategy, which proves that there is a culture of acceptability of new things and partnering with NGOs and academics and even other governments. “This is certainly positive,” said Prof Alain.
Dr Paul Biondich, associate professor of paediatrics/informatics at the Indiana University School of Medicine in the US, said there are countries that are vigorously using information technology, improved health care and reduced cost.
Dr Garrette Mehl, senior adviser of WHO, Switzerland and Kelvin Hui, senior health sector adviser of GIZ Dhaka also addressed the opening session.
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Quelle/Source: The Daily Star, 24.06.2014
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