Analysis of routine data generated through health facilities implies data quality assessment and transparent adjustments, estimation of target population sizes, analysis of coverage trends, use of summary measures, and assessment of districts’ performance.

The main source of data for the monitoring of health services is the routine health information system, which is managed by governments through ministries of health. All health facilities normally report on services such as outpatient visits, admissions, morbidity and mortality, births and immunizations. These data provide information on work volume and indirectly describe the epidemiological situation in the catchment populations. In most countries, such data are collected using a large number of registers and reporting forms, which are provided to district offices where the information is digitized. Many countries use the District Health Information System (DHIS2) to enter, compile, check and transmit the data to the national level. The routine health information system also includes information on health facilities such as numbers, type, and ownership, health workforce, medicines and commodities and other health system indicators.

Where feasible, the DAC will archive routine facility data and health system data from the Coutndown collaborating countries. If country agreement is obtained, the data will be in the public domain and accessible from an APHRC microdata portal. This may also include vital statistics data from birth and death registration systems, including the health and demographic surveillance systems in some collaborating countries.