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Introduction
A country’s health information system (HIS) integrates data from civil/vital registration, censuses, population surveys, facility surveys, individual records, service records and administrative records for policymaking and efficient management of healthcare services. The ultimate goal of any HIS is to produce quality and timely information for evidence-based decisions and interventions. HISs in developing countries, including Namibia, have been said to be weak (Kamau et al., 2017; Khan and Edwards, 2012; World Bank, 2009). Haoses-Gorases (2005) observed that the organisational structure of Namibia’s National Health Information System (NHIS) was fragmented across different directorates and institutions. The World Bank (2009) reported about incomplete and fragmented data sources, which created a challenge of bringing diverse data sources into a seamless system. A study in Namibia identified a lack of documentation as one of the challenges facing quality healthcare in many of the health facilities and recommended “enhanced communication on quality of care, strengthening information management and data use for quality improvement” (Republic of Namibia, MOHSS, 2014, p. 2).
Namibia’s healthcare system
Namibia’s MoHSS Strategic Plan (2009-2013) stresses the government’s strong commitment “to provide efficient and effective health services to the nation” (Republic of Namibia, Ministry of Health and Social Services, 2013, p. 34). Namibia’s health system is dominated by the public sector in terms of financing, service delivery and coordination (Republic of Namibia, 2009). The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) adopted a primary healthcare (PHC) approach to the delivery of healthcare services to the people of Namibia (Republic of Namibia, 2009, p. 19).
Namibia’s healthcare infrastructure network consists of 295 clinics, 47 health centres, 30 district hospitals, three intermediate hospitals, one national referral hospital and nine Sick Bays, as well as various social welfare service points, private hospitals and clinics (Republic of Namibia, MoHSS, 2011). It also has about 1,150 outreach points (Brockmeyer, 2012). The public health sector is structured in a three-tier hierarchy with national, regional and district levels. The national level is responsible for policy formulation, regulation, planning, management development and giving support for service provision to the entire health sector; whereas the regional directorates are responsible for regional-level oversight and service delivery. Besides government, faith-based organisations and non-governmental organisations, as well as the private sector, continue to play a key role in...