Implementing a Digital Health Information System During the COVID-19 Pandemic; a Stakeholder’s Approach from Kenya

Management of public health emergencies takes a multi-stakeholder approach and requires prompt and accurate data. To manage the COVID-19 data, the Kenyan Ministry of Health adopted the DHIS2 platform. Using a case study design, we used the stakeholder theory and data governance concepts to understand the implementation of the system. Data were collected through interviews at national and subnational levels. The main findings show that the DHIS2 had all the necessary support and capabilities to address all the COVID-19 data management activities but it was not effectively used due to coordination and governance issues. It was not easy to coordinate the multiple stakeholders with different interests and many of them continued using different systems including Microsoft Excel to achieve their data needs. The paper contributes to the emerging literature on digital platforms by identifying the pivotal importance of establishing adequate stakeholder engagement during emergencies