Mbabane – The Ministry of Health held its Annual Data Reports Dissemination Meeting, where health programmes presented their annual data reports to reflect on key achievements, identify gaps and improve service delivery across the Kingdom.
Presentations covered a range of programmes including the National Health Sector Strategy Plan, Community Health, Child Health, Sexual Reproductive Health, Cancer, Non-Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Central Medical Stores, Laboratory, Blood Bank and the application of artificial intelligence in monitoring and evaluation.
Director of Health Services Dr Velephi Okello set the tone for the meeting, calling on programmes to move beyond simply collecting data and start using it to drive decisions. 
“The true value of this data does not lie in its collection but in its active application. We must explicitly shift our paradigm from tracking what happened to diagnosing why it happened, forecasting what will happen and determining exactly what we should do to optimise patient outcomes. Therefore, data is the fundamental infrastructure of modern health intelligence,” she said.
Dr Okello also called for an end to fragmented data systems, saying integrated data use was essential to achieving Universal Health Coverage under the National Health Sector Strategic Plan covering 2024 to 2028.
“To successfully achieve Universal Health Coverage under the National Health Sector Strategic Plan (2024–2028), we must move away from fragmented, siloed data systems and embrace a framework of integrated data use. True health intelligence occurs when distinct data streams are cross-referenced to solve systemic challenges,” she said.
The Ministry thanked development and implementing partners for their support and acknowledged the presence of House of Assembly Health Portfolio Committee Chairperson Sandile Nxumalo at the meeting.
