USAID-Funded Building Healthy Cities Project Strengthens Multisectoral Data Integration In Makassar City
Makassar – A well-integrated data system is an effective tool for city planners. Within health, this system supports good planning across departments, as well as monitoring and evaluating a program’s achievement and sustainability. In contrast, when data is not integrated can create barriers in accessibility and prevents a city from responding quickly and effectively to public health issues such as COVID-19. Many health departments in Indonesia recognize this issue, this is why the One Health Data Application (ASDK) is being widely adopted. The application will facilitate the collection, management and analysis of disparate health data within the Ministry of Health, provincial health offices, district health offices, and community clinics (Puskesmas).
Makassar is one of the Indonesian cities that adopted ASDK, and plans to collect and integrate various health data for HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Homecare visits, maternal and child health, Immunization, and nutrition data within one software platform. This application is new and unfamiliar to many, so the USAID-funded Building Healthy Cities (BHC) project and the Makassar City Government have organized and facilitated a workshop on data use and visualization on December 22nd and 23rd, 2021. After attending the workshop, the 47 participants will have greater knowledge of ASDK and how to use it and its included indicators to support health in Makassar city.
BHC aims to refocus city policies, planning and services with a health equity lens while improving data-driven decision making for Smart Cities in three select locations including Indore (India), Makassar (Indonesia), Da Nang (Vietnam), and Kathmandu (Nepal). This global project is led by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the implementing partner for BHC in Makassar.
“Data drives decision-making. In order to make more informed decisions about urban health, sharing and integration of quality data is absolutely essential. This new system should save the city time and money while improving the quality of, and access to, health data.” said Amanda Pomeroy-Stevens, Project Director of BHC.
During his opening speech, Son Ha Dinh as the Coordinator of International Organization for Migration (IOM) for eastern Indonesia stated that the workshop is an excellent example of the strong cooperation between IOM and the Makassar City.
Head of Health Department ad interim also said that adaptation of health information technology have been improved. It increases availability of electronic data from various database. It requires data integration that can support effective decision making. This DHIS-2 based platform can support reporting of aggregate data from puskesmas level to ministry level, increase interoperability of data and allow all health program to be integrated into one database.
BHC looks forward seeing the participants utilize the skills they learned to access the national integrated data health management systems to improve the health conditions of the Makassar residents at large.
Building Healthy Cities (BHC) is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-17-00028, beginning September 30, 2017. BHC is implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) with partners International Organization for Migration, Thrive Networks Global, and Urban Institute, and with support from Engaging Inquiry, LLC. This Project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through USAID. USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries worldwide.
About IOM in Indonesia
Founded in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM)-UN Migration is a leading intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. This is done by advancing understanding the issue of migration, assisting government in dealing with migration challengers, encouraging social and economic development through migration, and upholding the dignity and well-being of migrants, their families, and their communities. For more information about IOM in Indonesia, please kindly visit https://indonesia.iom.int/
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Ahmad Isa, MPH
BHC Project Officer
For interview request, please contact:
Ariani Hasanah Seoejoeti
Media & Communication Officer
