Regional Champion of Open Source iHRIS Software Shares Successes and Lessons Learned

Professor Kayode Odusote works with countries in West Africa to track, manage, and plan their health workforce using CapacityPlus’s iHRIS software. Recently he traveled to the US from his home country of Nigeria to share successes and lessons learned.

iHRIS supplies health leaders with the information they need to ensure that the right health worker is in the right place at the right time. Because the software is open source, countries can freely customize it to meet local needs.

Until last December, Professor Odusote was director for human resources development for the West African Health Organization (WAHO). While working for WAHO, he adapted iHRIS Manage for a pilot in Ghana. The success of the pilot fueled a regional movement that has resulted in an unprecedented level of country buy-in and local stakeholder leadership. Now, as a CapacityPlus consultant, he works with other nearby countries—including Mali, Nigeria, and Togo—to modify and implement iHRIS to address their country’s health workforce challenges.

In August, Professor Odusote presented his work to foster independent deployment and country ownership of iHRIS in his region at the following meetings:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Informatics Conference in Atlanta, GA

• An interactive webinar with the global iHRIS community, including participants from Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa, fostering interregional collaboration

• A presentation and discussion at IntraHealth International in Chapel Hill, NC with guests from Columbia University, Duke University, Family Health Ministries, MEASURE Evaluation, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina

• A meeting with representatives from USAID, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, and collaborating projects and organizations in Washington, DC.

CapacityPlus currently provides direct technical assistance for iHRIS implementation in Mali and Ghana with upcoming assistance planned in Nigeria. CapacityPlus provides remote technical support for implementing iHRIS in Togo, while WAHO provides funding support.

Related items:

• “Worth More than Any Money:” Building Local Capacity in Health Worker Information Systems

• Mali Joins Nearby Countries in Adopting CapacityPlus’s iHRIS Software

• Partnering to Strengthen Health Information in West Africa

Photo by Carol Bales. (Kayode Odusote)