Teaming Session

TEAMING SESSIONS

This involves grouping people into teams ,to research, train and design health information systems for real case implementation, support and strengthening of National and County level health information systems

These Teaming sessions include Bootcamps, Hackathons and Meetings

a). Bootcamps Activities

The 1st DHARC bootcamp activity was hosted at JKUAT from 10th July 2017 to 31st July 2017

(4 Weeks Boot camp residential).

During the execution of the HIGDA  project COHES DHARC team successfully supported the 1st Boot Camp organized by College of Health Sciences (CoHES) in collaboration with other JKUAT Directorates, though HIGDA project.

HIGDA – DHARC team successfully supported the 1st Boot Camp organized by College of Health Sciences (CoHES) in collaboration with other JKUAT Directorates, though HIGDA project.

Universities have a duty and responsibility to equip students with academic capacity to effectively solve problems and develop innovative solutions that ultimately improves our environment and better quality of life.

Thus the bootcamp activity will exposed students to NHIS components hence institutionalizing a community of NHIS interoperability experts who can sustain in-country support on design, development and maintenance of NHIS components across National, County and implementing Partners health systems.

The process attracted 53 applicants, with 35 participant’s turnout on the 1st day of the bootcamp. Due to budget constrains the DHARC target was 30 participants hence a competence test was done aligned to the resource materials shared.

The DHARC team also invited the following partners (UoN, KeHMIS-palladium, Amref Health Africa, JSI and Intrahealth) for theme setting.

Outcomes of the

              Overall Objective

HIGDA intended to establish, institutionalize and operationalize the Digital Health Applied research Centre (DHARC) by facilitating series of targeted Hackathons and boot camps that would inform large-scale digital health initiatives and thus foster Testing, innovation and build a community of in county experts’ with economic growth within Kenya and regionally on digital healthcare ecosystem

             Outputs approach

The bootcamp4health themes consisted of relevant technical session facilitated by partner representatives from IntraHealth and AMREF who graced the bootcamp4health orientation session during week 1.
The bootcamp4health participants constituted of university students currently undertaking Bachelors courses in Health Information Systems, Computer Science, GIS, statistics and Public Health.

         Bootcamp4health Innovation themes:

Student grouped in teams, innovatively designed health information artifacts with potential for real case implementation and support of ongoing in country efforts to strengthen health information systems.

b. Meetings

a). First Meeting

HIGDA-JKUAT held a successful first College Hall meeting in May 2017 to advocate for development of research agenda and to stimulate the use of GIS/WEB mapping among the university management, faculty members and students. During the event, over 150 faculty members and students were introduced to the scope of HIGDA; specifically the need for curricula review to align with Industry needs in relation to DHIS2, DATIM MFLv2 and mainstream GIS and the development of innovations to assist in digitization and sharing of health related data.

Read more….

b). Second Meeting

The second one day stakeholders College Hall meeting was successfully held on 11th July. The meeting attracted a total of 173 participants, 90 males and 83 females. The participants included invited guests, the Senior Management Officers of JKUAT, Deans and Chairs of Academic Departments of JKUAT, Students of JKUAT, Alumni of the modular course “Use of GIS for decision making in health” offered by HIGDA and bootcamp conducted at JKUAT, and representatives of Kenyatta University and Mount Kenya University

The meeting which was officially opened by the Acting Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs of JKUAT, Prof Romanus Odhiambo, attracted 19 academic Schools and Departments of JKUAT, representatives from 4 Counties (Nairobi, Kwale, Kisumu and Kiambu) and representatives of 3 partners; Government of Kenya Ministry of Health, Association of Medical Records Officers of Kenya (AMRO-K) and IntraHealth.

Among the guest participants were the Chief of Party of HIGDA, Rose Nzyioka, JKUAT Registrar Academic Affairs, Dr Esther Mworia, the Principal of the College of Health Sciences, Prof Haroun Mengech, Mr Onemus Kamau head of eHealth, GoK MoH, Dr. Musa Mohammed, CEO, Mama Lucy Hospital, Nairobi County, Dr. Andre Yitambe, Chair, Health Records, Kenyatta University, Mr. Duncan Mutongu, Chair, Health Records, Mount Kenya University, Ms. Mercy Kahare, Chair, AMRO. The alumni of the “Use of GIS for decision making in health” short course included, Dr. Kevin Rombosia, Medical Superintendent, Kisumu County and Dr. Fatihiyya Wangara, Kwale County. Mr. Isaiah Nyabuto, Consultant with PSI was a participant of the first HIGDA JKUAT bootcamp of July 2017.

The meeting whose theme was “emerging opportunities for a multidisciplinary approach” showcased the achievements of the project and outlined the importance of eHealth in achieving the Kenya Government aim of achieving universal health care (UHC) for all citizens by the year 2022. Mr. Onesmus Kamau, head of eHealth in the Ministry of Health explained the importance of data analytics and ehealth in achieving the Kenya Governments Universal Health Care (UHC) programme.
The audience was also appraised on the various opportunities within the digital health sector and the importance of using a multi-disciplinary approach to develop products and solutions that will hasten the achievement of universal health care.

The students were encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams that can participate in the upcoming bootcamps. These bootcamps will give the teams an environment and opportunity to develop products that can be up scaled to commercial level thus providing employment opportunities and income to graduates.

The impact of the “Use of GIS for decision making in health” short course training was show cased to the audience. Dr. Kevin Rombosia, Medical Superintendent, Kisumu County and Dr. Fatihiyya Wangara, Kwale County who are alumni of this training show cased the products they have developed in their counties using County health data. Their presentations demonstrated the significant and positive impact their products have had on improving decision making in Health at County level. In addition, the presenters have become leadership champions of the use GIS for decision making in health within their counties a feat that other trainees of the short courses should aspire.

Mr Nyabuto demonstrated the use of the application their team developed during the bootcamp. This product is earmarked to have a significant impact in the Kenya health sector.

Upcoming events

---

News

---