This project addressed the priority area of health systems development. It builds on Baobab's successful pilot project (part of a previous DFID-funded Knowledge and Research programme), which introduced a computerised Patient Management Information System (PMIS) into the paediatric department at Lilongwe Central Hospital, Malawi.

The purpose of this project was to contribute to a reduction in morbidity and mortality at the hospital by improving healthcare delivery through applying the use of PMIS more broadly.

Baobab extended PMIS to other hospital areas, in collaboration with Lilongwe Central Hospital and the Health Management Information Unit of the Ministry of Health and Population of Malawi. The expansion covered patient registration areas, laboratory and x-ray services, the hospital's four major clinical services: the medical, surgical, obstetrics and gynaecology departments, and the Lighthouse HIV clinic.

The project outputs:

A functional patient management information system covering paediatrics, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and the Lighthouse HIV clinic

Improved communications between clinical departments and the ancillary services used by those departments

Increased accuracy, completeness and timeliness of morbidity and mortality data reported to the Ministry's Health Management Information Unit

Increased capacity to sustain and expand the system through a training programme for local information and communication technology (ICT) professionals focusing on Clinical Information Systems (CIS)

An evaluation and monitoring initiative to measure the efficacy of the system on a regular basis.