INTRODUCTION TO THE WBFA PERSONAL HEALTH RECORD

In 2009, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa launched its flagship tool, the Nigeria Integrated Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Personal Health Record (IMNCH PHR).  We  worked in partnership and consultation with global and local stakeholders in the field of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), including the United Kingdom’s Perinatal Institute, the Japanese international development agency JICA, and Nigeria’s Joint Agency Harmonisation Task Force on Integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health, membership of which is drawn from Federal Ministry of Health’s MNCH Core Technical Committee, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPCDHA), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the National Population Commission (NPopC), Paediatric Association Of Nigeria (PAN), Society Of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGON), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), to develop this patient health record.

Following a meeting on 10th June 2009, the Joint Agency Harmonisation Task Force issued the following communiqué:

  1. All the agencies present agreed that the Personal Health Record book is a data collection tool that will improve service delivery at all levels of healthcare.
  2. It will enhance quality of care in terms of service delivery
  3. It will serve as a motivational tool for demand creation and increased service uptake
  4. It will provide quality verifiable data for evidence-based decision making and policy formulation.

The Joint Agency Task Force recommends that:

The Federal Government takes the lead in the implementation of the PHRB initiative, and urge the States and LGAs, development partners and other key stakeholders to support the implementation processes at all levels of care.
The production and implementation of the PHRB for national use should be fast tracked
The tool should be pre-tested in selected facilities, with the view to piloting it under the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS)
The initial seed stock of 200,000 copies be urgently procured for the 156 LGAs selected for the MSS, and 18 LGAs for the NHIS-MDG’s MCH project as a pilot. The FMOH, NPHCDA, NHIS, NBS, NPC, and development agencies should partner with the WBF for the supply of initial seed stock..
‘To ensure sustainability, the PHRB should be domiciled in the NPHCDA of the FMOH, while support may be sought from the organised private sector.
In view of the upcoming launch of the MSS, the development of the work plan should commence immediately..

 

 

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