EPHI Leads Regional Workshop to Advance Data Harmonization and Interoperability for Maternal and Child Health Systems
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The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), through its Health System Research Directorate, successfully concluded a four-day Data Harmonization and Interoperability Systems Workshop under the Horizon Europe-funded LINDA-FAMILIA Project, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening digital health systems and evidence-based healthcare across Africa.
Held from June 28 to July 1, 2026, at the Capital Hotel and Spa in Addis Ababa, the workshop brought together experts and partners from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, to harmonize maternal, newborn, child health, and infectious disease data systems. The LINDA-FAMILIA project is being implemented across Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania to improve health systems through interoperable digital platforms that enhance maternal, newborn, and child health services, disease surveillance, clinical decision-making, and the use of real-time health data.
Opening the workshop, Dr. Aderajew Mekonnen, Director of EPHI's Health System Research Directorate and Principal Investigator of the LINDA-FAMILIA Project in Ethiopia, emphasized that harmonized data standards are fundamental to improving data quality, strengthening evidence-based decision-making, and achieving better health outcomes.
He noted that the workshop would establish a shared understanding of existing maternal and child health data dictionaries, develop a standardized framework, and define a core set of harmonized variables aligned with World Health Organization recommendations while addressing country-specific priorities. Dr. Aderajew also underscored the importance of achieving technical interoperability, particularly through the integration of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems with District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), to enhance data exchange and support more efficient health information systems.
Dr. Aderajew acknowledged the technical leadership of Professor Ali Kashan of University College Cork, Ireland, and Dr. Mahima Venkateswar of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, as well as the contributions of the Ministry of Health and other project partners. He encouraged participants to actively share experiences, identify common data elements and existing gaps, and jointly develop harmonized definitions and coding standards to strengthen maternal and child health information systems and disease surveillance across participating countries.
Throughout the workshop, participants reviewed existing national data dictionaries, mapped variables against World Health Organization recommendations, and discussed the development of standardized datasets to support interoperable digital health systems. The discussions focused on producing harmonized data definitions, standardized coding rules, and a practical implementation framework to improve data quality, reporting, and health service delivery.
Prof. AliAli Kashan facilitated technical sessions aimed at improving the comparability of maternal health data across participating countries. Participants assessed existing data collection tools using a structured 50-variable framework, examined the availability and quality of priority data elements, explored opportunities for federated research, identified implementation gaps, and developed country-specific policy briefs. The workshop also produced a joint regional roadmap outlining shared priorities, implementation timelines, and collaborative actions.
In parallel, Dr. Mahima Venkateswar led practical sessions on strengthening interoperability between health information systems, with particular emphasis on integrating EMR platforms with DHIS2. Through technical presentations and hands-on discussions, participants enhanced their understanding of system integration, data exchange mechanisms, and real-time reporting processes tailored to country-specific contexts.