By Joy Salami
The Kogi State Government, has launched the distribution of 5,000 copies of National Health Data Tools, worth millions of naira to all public and private hospitals across the state, in a move aimed at improving accurate health record-keeping and reporting.
The official flag-off ceremony was recently held at the Ministry of Health in Lokoja.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, said the initiative is part of his administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery through effective data management.
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Governor Ododo explained that the standardized Health Data Tools are nationally recognized documents used across Nigeria to ensure that every service provided in health facilities is properly recorded and uploaded into the national health information system (DHIS2).
He stressed that accurate data collection was critical for planning, resource allocation, and tracking progress in the health sector.
Dr. Adeiza noted that the Ministry of Health, through its Department of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics, produced the tools from the national template after years of unavailability from the federal level.
According to him, Kogi is among the first states to reproduce and distribute these tools to all categories of health facilities-primary, secondary, and tertiary, thereby setting a standard for other states.
Speaking at the event, the State Director of Health Research, Statistics, and Documentation, Mr. Johnson Ayedogbon, described the initiative as a landmark achievement.
He emphasised that without the use of these tools, health services rendered in the state would go unrecorded, which could give the impression that no activity was taking place in the sector.
Ayedogbon further disclosed that through this intervention, Kogi has already attained 80 percent of the expected national reporting rate, surpassing many states that are yet to provide the tools for their health facilities.
He lauded the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communication, whose printing press facilitated the production of the tools.
The initiative, according to stakeholders, not only demonstrates Governor Ododo’s proactive approach to tackling healthcare challenges but also positions Kogi among the leading states in health data management and reporting.
