Analysis of health data from countries in Africa reflects differences in country specific interpretation of indicators, resulting in difficulties in comparison of data and measuring regional progress. At a national level, countries have highlighted the need for improved data on malaria interventions and related trends to inform their actions.

To address this, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Rwanda is organizing a five day capacity building workshop on surveillance, monitoring and evaluation for nine countries with moderate and high transmission in the African Region, from 12 to 16 October 2015 in Kigali, Rwanda.

This meeting aims to improve the use of data by the malaria programmes for decision making. The outcomes of the meeting will help the countries improve targeting of interventions for achievement of universal coverage of malaria interventions. Ultimately, countries will improve access to interventions by the at risk populations.

Participants are data managers and programme managers from national malaria programmes, and WHO staff from Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania Mainland, Uganda, Zambia, Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria. The meeting follows the first one organized from 14 to 18 September 2015, for participants from countries with lower malaria transmission.

The main objective of the workshop is to build the capacity of the participants in malaria surveillance, data management and monitoring and evaluation with. The specific objectives are:

To train participants in African Region’s Real-time Strategic Information System (rSIS)
To discuss key malaria indicators definitions and how to interpret them
To discuss targeting of interventions at national level based on evidence
To discuss the data submitted for the World Malaria Report 2015 and peer review of malaria data for the period 2000 to 2015 (by month and by district from 2009)
To agree on the next steps for each country for improving malaria data collection, management, analysis and use.
The workshop was officially opened by the WHO Representative, Dr Olushayo Olu, in presence of the Representative of the Minister of Health of Rwanda, the Acting Head of the Malaria Programme, Dr Monique Mulindahabi.
The officials thanked the Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Health for hosting the meeting, and highlighted the country’s leadership role in the fight against malaria.

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Mother and Child Health Week, March 2015: Distribution of mosquito nets at community level