Consultant – Health Information System

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant, as part of the Health Systems Development team at the WHO Country Office in Lao PDR will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH), Lao PDR in strengthening and harmonizing the national Health Management Information System (HMIS) and other health information systems. Moreover, the consultant will contribute to the implementation of Lao PDR Digital Health Strategy 2023-2027 and strengthening digital transformation that can accelerate scaling up of sustainable digital health technologies and solutions. Additionally, the consultant will provide technical support in various areas of health information systems strengthening such as tracking national and international health indicators, improving data quality, data use, and strengthening capacity of MOH staff in the production of routine information products.

Background

Health information systems (HIS) play a crucial role in generating evidence for decision-making and actions across all levels of the healthcare system. The Lao PDR’s Health Management Information System (HMIS) is a vital component of the national health system, providing evidence for policy decisions. In 2013, the Ministry of Health (MOH) introduced District Health Information Software version 2 (DHIS2) as the integrated platform for the national HMIS. The main role of the consultant will be to provide technical assistance to MOH to strengthen and harmonize the HMIS and other HIS.

In the current global landscape, there is a trend towards investing in the digitalization of healthcare. Aligning with this, Lao PDR launched its first Digital Health Strategy (DHS) in January 2023, marking a significant step towards leveraging digital technologies for the enhancement of healthcare delivery. WHO Country Office in Lao PDR is assisting the MOH in implementing the DHS. In the DHS, five strategic priorities have been identified: governance, workforce, infrastructure, standards, and applications. These priorities are expected to create a foundation for streamlined health services and data-driven decision-making. One of the main roles of the consultant will be to provide technical assistance to MoH to implement the DHS 2023-2027.

Additionally, the MOH is tasked with producing and disseminating routine and ad hoc information products/reports, such as the annual national health statistics report. These reports are generated using data from the HMIS and other HISs. The consultant will facilitate the timely production and dissemination of these reports, ensuring they reach relevant stakeholders and contribute to evidence-based decision-making processes.

Furthermore, a significant MOH project involves integrating climate data into the national health management information system to monitor, prepare for, and mitigate climate-related health risks. The consultant will provide technical support in integrating climate data into national health surveillance systems.

Deliverables

Under the direct guidance of Coordinator, Health Systems Development and Social Determinants at the WHO Country Office in Lao PDR, the consultant will provide in-country technical support in following areas:

1. Strengthening routine health information systems and advancing the digital transformation of healthcare
2. Preparing and disseminating information on health sector development and health system performance
3. Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems of Lao PDR

The consultant will be expected to contribute to the achievement of the following outputs:

Output 1: Support for strengthening routine health information systems and advancing the digital transformation of healthcare
Deliverable 1.1: Develop a policy brief including a set of recommendations to improve the DHIS2 based on the results of the maturity assessment of DHIS 2
Deliverable 1.2: Roll out the Child Health Development Record (aka under 5 children tracker programme) on HMIS in selected provinces
Deliverable 1.3: Roll out the Action Plan App in selected provinces
Deliverable 1.4: Roll out the ICT infrastructure and WASH facilities mapping tool on HMIS
Deliverable 1.5: Design and develop a Human Resource for Health (HRH) information system for Lao PDR
Deliverable 1.6: Support to automate data exchange between Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) and HMIS predict climate sensitive diseases

Output 2: Support for strengthening the death notification system including the nationwide roll out of the ICD-10 to improve Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Lao PDR
Deliverable 2.1: Roll out the IPD tracker and the cause of death reporting app in HMIS
Deliverable 2.2: Facilitate ICD-10 morbidity and mortality coding training at subnational level
Deliverable 2.3: Facilitate medical certification of cause of death (MCCOD) training at subnational level
Deliverables 2.4: Support the development of study design for mortality surveillance case study of Lao PDR

Output 3: Support strengthening health research capacity in Lao PDR
Deliverable 3.1: Design and develop a digital system to automate ethical review process of Lao PDR
Deliverable 3.2: Support a situation analysis and capacity building of clinical trials in Lao PDR

The consultant is expected to submit a monthly report including deliverables with agreed timeline

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Education qualifications:

Essential: Advanced university degree in public health, health sciences or medical degree from a recognized university.
Desirable: Postgraduate degree in public health, health informatics management or related field from a recognized tertiary institution.

Experience:

Essential: Minimum seven years’ work experience in the areas of digital health and health information systems strengthening, including HIS assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Desirable: Experience in supporting ministries of health in strengthening CRVS systems. Work experience in Lao PDR and/or other developing countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. Experience in working with WHO/UN agencies.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential: Experience in managing and coordinating HIS and digital health projects within a public health context, knowledge and experience in DHIS2 implementation, data analysis, and report writing.
Desirable: Familiarity of DHIS2 interoperability integration concepts. Familiarity with ICD-10/11, International form on medical certificate of cause of death, and indicators of SDG 3 and health-related SDG and UHC. Familiarity of DHIS2 interoperability integration concepts.

Language and level required:

Expert knowledge of spoken and written English is essential.

Location

The consultant will be based in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR with potentially having to undertake duty travel to provinces.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel to Lao PDR and provide on-site support and due to the nature of support, teleworking will not be possible. Local travel within the country, where needed, will be arranged by WCO

Remuneration and budget

Remuneration: Payband level B – USD 8,000-9,980 (monthly)
Duration: 3 months, November 2024 to February 2025

Additional Information:

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