Decisions before dashboards

Key messages

1. Reporting is not using. In one Ghanaian region, 93% of facilities studied submitted data to the national platform, but only 26% of community-level facilities used those data in annual action plans (2020 study).
2. The burden falls on front-line staff. A five-country study found an average of 34 registers and 35 monthly reporting forms per country, with recording taking about one-third of consultation time.
3. Quality problems are real but fixable. A ministry-led data quality intervention in Mozambique raised median agreement between source records and reported data from 56.3% to 87.5%.
4. Use depends on management, not software. Regular review meetings, supervision, feedback and direction from senior managers predict data use more than technology alone.
5. The aid shock raises the stakes. In a 2025 WHO survey of 108 country offices, over 40% of countries reported disruption to key information systems.

Who this brief is for

Ministries of health, district health management teams, health information and monitoring and evaluation officers, and the donors, global health partners and NGOs whose reporting requirements shape what facilities collect.

Inside the brief

• Abstract, key messages and the context after the 2025 aid cuts
• Evidence on data use, data quality and the reporting burden from across sub-Saharan Africa
• Cases from Kano State, Nigeria, and Sofala and central Mozambique
• The strongest case against relying on routine data, and a response
• Five shifts for ministries, districts and partners
• A district data-use checklist, eight questions for leaders and a 90-day plan
• Twenty references, each linked to its source

For enquiries about this brief, email Simon at [email protected].

Praxis supports better use of evidence through Research & Data, builds data skills through Education & Training and works with teams and leaders through Advisory & Partnerships. To discuss your plans, contact us.