The World Health Organization's most recent assessment of the coverage and functionality of the National Health Information Systems (NHIS) revealed that Angola should focus on improving the availability of information on key development indicators, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for health, birth registration, the causes of death with medical certificates reported by the main hospitals by main diagnostic category (ICD-10/11), among others.

According to the Acting Representative of the WHO in Angola, Dr Yoti Zabulon, for the WHO, the availability of credible, timely, and accessible information is crucial for monitoring the progress of actions and improving access to health for the population.

"The WHO is committed to supporting the review of the National Health Information System (NHIS) and the development of a new Strategic Plan for the National Health Information System for 2024-2030 to ensure a strategic orientation that contributes to strengthening the national health system."

Taking advantage of the access to new technologies and ongoing development in the country's health sector, the Ministry of Health of Angola (MINSA), together with the WHO and financial support from the European Union, has begun collecting data on the (NHIS), as part of the process of drawing up the Strategic Plan for the National Health Information System 2024/2030.

The process, which is intended to help boost the improvement of the health information system and the quality of health services in Angola, involves the participation of specialists from different government departments, UN agencies, and national and international organizations under the leadership of the MINSA's Planning and Statistics Study Office and the health information systems department of the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO).

Among the various actions planned, the WHO experts are to ensure the training of the national team in the methodology and approach applicable to the review of the National Health Information System, facilitate the comprehensive assessment of the health information system and the definition of HIS priorities following the assessment carried out, as well as the use of the assessment results to build consensus and stakeholder participation in the NHIS, including the mobilization of resources for the NHIS in the key areas of health system strengthening.

This is the first phase of seven stages in preparing the Strategic Plan for the National Health Information System for 2024-2030, which is expected to be finalized in the next three months. The other phases of the planning process involve a) prioritizing the strategic areas, b) drawing up the operation plan, c) drawing up the cost framework, d) drawing up the monitoring and evaluation framework, e) validation and approval and f) implementation.