Ministry of Health and C-Saúde partner towards the development of an integrated Health Information System in Mozambique
“With C-Saúde’s technical support, we were able to turn our vision of a unified health information system into a clear, actionable strategy one that truly reflects Mozambique’s priorities.” Eliazardo Muchave, Health Information Department – Ministry of Health (MOH) in Mozambique. Over the years, PEPFAR through its local implementing partner C-Saúde has developed and brought deep technical expertise in HIV data systems to Mozambique’s health sector. Among other stakeholders, C-Saúde supported the development of MOH’s cohesive, nationwide Health Information Systems (HIS) Strategy to guide all future digital investments. Drawing on lessons learned from earlier HIV platforms that improved patient tracking and reporting, C-Saúde contributed to MOH-led high-level workshops and technical working groups with multiple stakeholders to define the country’s strategic priorities. As the strategy crystallized, MOH’s Planning and Cooperation Directorate (DPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with C-Saúde. This agreement unlocked the allocation of fifteen embedded specialists’ software developers, business analysts, and health-informatics experts who now work side by side with Health Information Department (DIS) staff at MOH headquarters. MOH´s vision through this support is to design the Health Information System – Electronic Medical Record (SIS-RME), intended for deployment in both hospitals and health facilities, integrating essential modules such as HIV, maternal and child health, triage, outpatient clinical consultations, prescriptions, lab tests, inpatient admissions, and automated reporting. The team’s mandate is clear: while focusing on the HIV module, ensure the system is grounded in frontline realities, technically sound, and fully aligned with the needs of health facilities, from small rural health centers to referral hospitals. Together, the joint team has mapped existing workflows, identified critical data gaps, and set practical milestones for system interoperability, infrastructure upgrades, and user training. C-Saúde’s experience with PEPFAR-funded HIV systems is proving invaluable: guiding sessions on requirement gathering, patient-identifier integration, systems interoperability, real-time dashboards, and governance mechanisms. Additionally, C-Saúde specialists are mentoring DIS staff in agile requirement gathering and system administration, ensuring that Mozambique’s MOH builds lasting in-house capacity to maintain and evolve the platform long after launch. As one Eliazardo Muchave from MOH’s DIS observed: “This support is not only accelerating solution delivery but also strengthening institutions, creating autonomy, and elevating data-driven decision quality.” Looking ahead, the roll-out of SIS-RME slated for 2025, will include a Unique patient identifier strategy to eliminate duplicate records and streamline patient management. The system will be gradually enhanced to provide near-real-time dashboards for policymakers, automate routine reports, and embed continuous learning modules for health workers laying the foundation for an integrated, efficient, and sustainable digital health ecosystem. By anchoring the HIS strategy in participatory design, MoU-backed collaboration, and a deeply embedded technical team, Mozambique is building on PEPFAR’s work in the area of HIV to craft a digital health roadmap that will strengthen decision-making, optimize resources, and ultimately improve care for its citizens.