LINDA-FAMILIA Work Package 2 Workshop to digitalize Maternal and Child Health Services…
EPHI hosts LINDA-FAMILIA Work Package 2 Workshop to digitalize Maternal and Child Health Services
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The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) hosted LINDA-FAMILIA Work Package 2 (WP2) Implementation Planning Workshop in Addis Ababa, bringing together consortium partners from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, the Ministry of Health, and other partner institutions to strengthen coordination for the implementation of electronic health registries (eRegistries) across the four east African participating countries.
The workshop is part of the LINDA-FAMILIA Project, a four-year initiative funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Program and led by University College Cork. The project aims to improve maternal, newborn, and child health by promoting sustainable digital health solutions and strengthening health information systems.
Work Package 2, jointly led by EPHI and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health is the project’s largest component. It focuses on co-designing, adapting, and strengthening digital health systems and implementing electronic health registries to improve maternal, newborn, postnatal, and child vaccination services while enhancing data quality and use for decision-making.
Dr. Aderajew Mekonnen, Director of the Health System Research Directorate at EPHI and Principal Investigator of the LINDA-FAMILIA project in Ethiopia, welcomed participants and reaffirmed EPHI’s commitment to advancing evidence-based digital health innovations that strengthen health systems and improve maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.
Dr. Abas Hassen, Health Innovation and Quality Lead Executive Officer at the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia delivered keynote address. He emphasized that the LINDA-FAMILIA initiative will make a significant contribution to advancing Ethiopia’s Digital Health 2030 agenda. He noted that strengthening digital health systems through collaborative partnerships is essential to improving the quality, accessibility, and efficiency of healthcare services across the countries.
Professor Ali Kashan of University College Cork, global coordinator of the LINDA-FAMILIA Project, presented the overall implementation framework for Work Package 2. He noted that the workshop will enable consortium members to refine implementation approaches, adjust support mechanisms based on country needs, clarify partner responsibilities, and establish realistic timelines for the remaining project period.
Dr. Mahima Venkateswaran of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, also highlighted implementation status and challenges across Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Mr. Asfaw Kelbessa representative of the Digital Health Lead executive of the Ministry of Health Ethiopia provided a detail presentation on the current Ethiopia’s Digital health implementation framework and challenges.
During the first day of the workshop, Principal Investigators from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda presented updates on their Work Package 2 activities, followed by discussions and a question-and-answer session. The two-day workshop will conclude on July 3, 2026 with agreed implementation plan of each country.