Introduction to DHIS2

DHIS2 Regional Master TOT, Adama

November 20-24, 2017
Too much data … yet, little information …
even very little use of the information we
have.
The Basics: What is DHIS 2?
• District Health Information System (DHIS 2) is a system/tool for collection,
validation, analysis, and presentation of aggregate or individual data.
• It is an integrated system of tools that help operators and planners –
collect, collate and USE health data and information for progressive action.
• It is a platform and database independent open source tool.
• It is a generic tool that can be easily customized to fit to any field that is
dependent on data collected and analyzed for decision making.
• It has a flexible user interface and provides easy access for planners,
managers and monitoring and evaluation specialists to design the ‘meta-
data’ needed to collect important data.
We have multifaceted community health data to be
systematically collected, analyzed and used.
The Basics: What is DHIS2? …
• Capturing, analysis and dissemination of data
• Handles routine data, events and surveys
• Integrated warehouse for essential data
• Self-service analysis tools
• Communication (messaging and feedback)
• Open source, web-based software platform
• Global network initiative with local nodes.
History of DHIS 2
• DHIS 2 is developed from an effort by Health Information Systems Program
(HISP) – a University of Oslo program – to design a tool that can collect, process,
analyze, and present data.
• The first country where DHIS was piloted in is South Africa (and the first to adopt
it as a national system).
• The first version of the software DHIS 1.3 and its subsequent version DHIS 1.4
were designed using Microsoft Visual Basic with Microsoft Access and later
Microsoft SQL server hosting the database.
• It was limited in that, it was operating system and database system dependent (Microsoft
Windows and Access respectively) and lacks the feature of online data entry or access
• Was limited in the amount of data it can collect and process, had some basic features
required by some countries missing
• Was implemented in some countries including South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria and India.
• The second version (DHIS2) has resolved the OS and database dependence problems of DHIS.
Technical specification: Why DHIS 2?
• DHIS 2 is an effort to make it a modern software that is platform and
database independent that can work both offline (semi-offline) and
online, is easy to use, and developed on a popular technology where
more and more developers were adopting.
• DHIS 2 is an Open Source software that can be used at no cost.
• Runs on any platform including Windows and Linux with a Java
runtime environment configured.
• Is database independent with MySQL and PostgreSQL versions
already implemented.
 Thank You!!

Next … DHIS2 Building Blocks