In a move to support transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s primary healthcare sector, the tech firm Orodata Science has launched the ‘CheckMYPHC’ app, a pioneering digital platform that empowers citizens, journalists, and policymakers with critical information about the status of primary health centers (PHCs) across the country.
The launch of this innovative app comes at a crucial time when the Nigerian government has claimed to have disbursed over 12 billion Naira through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Gateway.
With this new tool, non-state actors can now actively support stakeholders by providing essential baseline healthcare data, enabling effective resource allocation, tracking of spending, and strengthening the feedback loop between the government and citizens.
“CheckMYPHC was developed under the African Data Hub (ADH) initiative, and is a part of a larger project called the My PHC Project,” explains the Orodata Science team. “The platform allows users to explore the status of primary health centers by state and local governments, download data, and request more information.
They can also search for specific PHCs in their communities, compare them with others, and view key insights on building structure, infrastructure, personnel, and more.”
Notably, the app also features a crucial feedback mechanism, empowering community champions and organizations to capture real-time updates on the conditions of PHCs in their localities. This invaluable data can guide better interventions and help revitalize dilapidated or abandoned healthcare facilities across the nation.
“With the recent claims of significant funding being channeled into the primary healthcare system, it is essential that non-state actors like Orodata Science step up to support stakeholders with essential baseline data,” says the Orodata Science team. “This data is necessary for effective service delivery, optimized resource allocation, and tracking of spending, ultimately strengthening the feedback loop between the government and citizens.”
The initial version of the CheckMYPHC platform contains data from over 345 PHCs across six states, representing the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. However, the developers have ambitious plans for the next phase of data collection, which aims to reach over 1,000 PHCs in 16 states, gaining even greater momentum and coverage.
“The maiden version of CheckMYPHC holds data from primary health centers in Sokoto, Taraba, Benue, Cross River, Anambra, and Osun states,” the Orodata Science team explains. “This is just the beginning, as we plan to expand our reach and provide even more comprehensive insights to empower citizens and policymakers in the quest for a stronger, more transparent primary healthcare system.”
By leveraging the power of data and technology, Orodata Science’s ‘CheckMYPHC’ app is poised to revolutionize the way Nigerians engage with and monitor the state of their primary healthcare infrastructure.
This groundbreaking initiative has the potential to drive tangible improvements in service delivery, resource allocation, and the overall accountability of the healthcare sector, ultimately benefiting millions of Nigerians who rely on these essential community-based health facilities.
