Improving Data Quality and Data Use for PHC System Performance in Niger State to Build Accountability Systems for Service Delivery and Health Outcomes

Timeline: June 2019 – December 2020 | Status: Completed

Niger State, Nigeria

Project Overview

Strong primary healthcare systems depend on reliable data to guide planning, monitor performance, and improve service delivery. To strengthen evidence-based decision-making in Niger State, the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, implemented the Improving Data Quality and Data Use for PHC System Performance in Niger State project between June 2019 and December 2020.

The project focused on enhancing the quality, availability, and use of routine primary healthcare data while strengthening accountability systems across the state's health sector. Working closely with government institutions and health managers, HSDF supported efforts to improve data governance, establish performance monitoring mechanisms, and promote the routine use of health information to drive better service delivery and health outcomes.

By strengthening data systems and building institutional capacity, the project contributed to a more responsive and accountable primary healthcare system capable of using evidence to inform planning, resource allocation, and continuous performance improvement.

Primary healthcare managers require timely and accurate information to make informed decisions. However, challenges such as incomplete reporting, inconsistent data quality, limited data analysis capacity, and weak accountability mechanisms often hinder effective health system management.

These limitations affected the ability of decision-makers to monitor service delivery, identify performance gaps, and implement targeted interventions to improve health outcomes across Niger State.

HSDF partnered with relevant government stakeholders to strengthen the state’s primary healthcare information systems through technical assistance and capacity development. The project focused on:

Improving the quality, completeness, and reliability of routine primary healthcare data.
Strengthening accountability systems for monitoring service delivery and health outcomes.
Building the capacity of health managers to analyse, interpret, and use data for decision-making.
Supporting performance review processes that encourage evidence-based planning and continuous improvement.
Promoting a culture of data use across all levels of the primary healthcare system.