Ethiopia has reported significant progress in health care services following the recent implementation of its electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS).
eLMIS is seen as a watershed moment in the East African nation's digital health reform journey.
The system, also known as Dagu, aims to improve visibility and efficiency across the country's health supply chain.
It has been assessed since early this year to determine its functioning, maturity, use, and influence on health and nutrition commodity availability, inventory management, and decision-making processes.
The nationwide exercise, financed by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, included 251 public health facilities.
According to the assessment findings, 63.7% of health facilities currently use a functional eLMIS.
“This assessment reinforces what we have known. Dagu has the potential to transform our supply chain," Teshome Deres, senior advisor for the state minister of the Ministry of Health, said in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
“We are committed to working with our partners to ensure Dagu reaches its full potential across all health programmes."
Infrastructure limitations, intermittent internet access, limited management engagement and human resource constraints have however been identified as setbacks.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a partner in the Dagu project, this is a significant step forward in the joint effort to develop Ethiopia's more robust, data-driven supply chain.
"Dagu is helping health facilities deliver essential medicines, nutrition commodities and health supplies more reliably. The data proves it," said Dr Patrick Okumu Abok, WHO team lead for the Health Emergencies Programme.
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