Strengthening INDNOR University
Research Collaboration around Health
Information Systems
Sundeep Sahay
Institutt for Informatikk
University of Oslo
Global Infrastructure Research
Group, IFI
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Long standing tradition of research and
development in Health Information Systems
GI group in last round in selection of Centre of
Excellence in Norway on the theme of Global
Health Infrastructures
Focus of research on:
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Norwegian health care system – various
interpretive case studies
In various developing countries – through HISP
action research programme since 1996
HISP India partner for GI group – since 2000
HISP – Health Information
Systems Programme
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HISP is a global
south-south-north
R&D network
Seeks to
strengthen R&D
around HIS
Coordinated by the GI group, IFI
Components of the R&D Network
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Four key components:
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Research and action around design, development,
and implementation of open source software called
DHIS2 (used in 25 countries and 15 states in India)
Doctoral studies (currently about 35 PhD students)
Masters education in collaboration with universities
in the South – Sri Lanka, Mozambique,
Bangladesh, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia
In-service capacity building in countries
Action research is underlying philosophy
HISP India
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HISP India a key node in Global HISP
network – not for profit NGO
Active since 2000 in India working at both
state and national levels in development &
use of integrated HIS in India/South Asia
Supported partly through NRC/NORAD
Doctoral and masters students from
Norway, India and other countries have
based thesis work within HISP India
Implementing DHIS2 Academy in S Asia
HISP India: Institutional
collaborations
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Academic institutions: AIIMS, Sri Chitra, IIIT
Kerala/Delhi, BITS Pilani, SRM, IIHMR
Government – NHSRC, NRHMs of 10
states (Kerala, N, HP, Bihar, Orissa etc)
International: UN FAO, MoH, Bangladesh,
GIZ, PATH, USA, Capacity Plus, UiO,
Rockefeller Foundation, HMN, others
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Starting in Afghanistan, Maldives etc
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Other entities in the Global HISP network
Strengthening research
collaboration
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GI group aiming for national centre of excellence
high quality global research is the ambition
Norway-India research key to this ambition
India largest and long standing research and
development nodes of Global HISP
Supporting GLOBVAC initiative
Despite this, contribution of Indian doctoral
students weak (5 students over 10 years)
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Rich and untapped research potential
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INDNOR collaborations are key
Potential Vehicles for
collaboration: NORHED
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NORHED is Norwegian Programme for
Capacity Building in Higher Education and
Research for Development.
Proposed structure:
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GI Group, IFI - the North partner
South partners – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri
Lanka
Enabling research and education
collaboration of informatics and public
health institutions
Approach
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Creating a consortium of universities in
South Asia to establish specializations in
public health informatics.
Drawing upon the GI group decade old
experience of running Masters programmes
in public health informatics in the South.
Partner universities may customize the
material to specific university needs creating
a common pool of resource material - an
open source model of community sharing.
Creating mutual benefits
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Help develop capacities in these universities
to leverage a network model provide mutual
inputs in respective individual programs.
HISP India a vital cog in this network, an
empirical site – “learning by doing” plus a
beneficiary of short-term in-service programs
Mechanisms of collaboration:
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Collaborative research projects
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Faculty exchange
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Joint seminars, workshops, training
Benefits for states
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Short term in-service programme for:
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Medical Officers, Nurses, District
Administrators, Health Managers, State
and National administrators
Possibilities for doctoral studies for some
interested staff with requisite qualifications
Concluding remarks
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INDNOR represents rich potential for:
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Research
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Education
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In-service training
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Making a difference in health care
Potential been largely unrealized till date
In domain of public health, GI group/HISP
India/collaborative network provides a
vehicle to help realize this potential
In India and South Asia