By:
Robert Kwaku Annor
Madagascar has recorded a
digital health maturity score of 55.6 percent, placing the country at Level 2,
classified as “Emerging”, following an assessment of its primary healthcare
digitalisation readiness.
The assessment was conducted
this week by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa
CDC), UNICEF and Madagascar’s Ministry of Health using the Africa Digital
Health Maturity Assessment Tool (ADHMAT).
The assessment examined
Madagascar’s digital health readiness at national, sub-national and health
facility levels, providing stakeholders with an overview of the country’s
progress and areas requiring further investment.
Data analytics emerged as
one of the country’s stronger areas, while gaps were identified in digital
infrastructure, workforce capacity and the adoption of artificial intelligence
and other emerging technologies.
The assessment identified
seven priority areas for investment and development: governance, strategy and
investment, legislation and policy, workforce, standards and interoperability,
infrastructure, and digital services.
The findings are expected to
inform efforts to strengthen the digitalisation of primary healthcare and
improve coordination among institutions involved in Madagascar’s digital health
transformation.
As part of the proposed way
forward, stakeholders have identified the establishment of a National Platform
for the Coordination of Primary Healthcare Digitalisation as a mechanism to
bring relevant actors together, improve coordination and support sustained
progress.
