Background

Despite viewing health as developmental need and financial support from national plans for development with increasing allocation in recent years, gaps in implementation of policies and lack of inter-sectoral approach to health has precluded health programme from fully translating into desired outcomes.  To overcome these gaps Health Policy Forum, an intellectually independent health sector think tank with an institutional mechanism designed to stimulate, assist in the development of and monitor health policies, foster their implementation and catalyze change through policy and technical support, was established 2005.

Health technology is one of the themes identified in the operational plan for 2006-07 of the Health Policy Forum realizing that the development of a health information technology system is imperative for facilitating the process of making the health policy relevant and health reforms effective, equitable and responsive to the needs of the population.  For the development of a locally-suited, viable and appropriate health information technology system it is crucial to; firstly generate information highlighting current status and needs; and secondly a teamwork between experts of health and information technology.   

In this regard under the umbrella of Health Policy Forum a collaborative action program has been launched to have consultative deliberations with Oracle, technical expert in information technology, to progress towards the development of health technology system for the country.  It is expected that this system would enable in generating evidence for setting priorities in health policy and implementing specific reforms in health sector.