300+ Barishal hospitals to digitise child care via app

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in collaboration with Save the Children in Bangladesh, has officially launched a  district-wide piloting app to accelerate efforts to dizitalise health services for children under age five.

The event was  held at the Directorate of Health Office in Barishal on Saturday, according to a press release.

Following successful field testing in Barishal, Manikganj, and Bhola districts and endorsement by the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), the app will now be piloted across all 319 government healthcare facilities in Barishal.

This district-wide rollout showcases how digital innovation can enhance equity and efficiency in public health, said the release.

The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) digital app, developed by Save the Children, is designed to significantly improve child health outcomes.

By empowering frontline health workers to accurately assess, classify, treat, and refer childhood illnesses more efficiently, the app has the potential to bring about a positive change in child health.

Integrated with key national health platforms, including DHIS2, OpenSRP, and OpenMRS, the app connects directly to the government's central Shared Health Record (SHR), enabling real-time, paperless service delivery and monitoring.

The launch event brought together senior government officials, health sector leaders, development partners, and representatives from Save the Children and SAINT BD. Distinguished guests included:

Md. Saidur Rahman, secretary, Health Services Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said “Losing a child at a very young age leaves a shocking impact on the parents, even for a long time. If we can alleviate such death through using this IMCI app, it will start of a win. The app has a long journey, starting from 2020. Now, as we are progressing towards piloting in Barishal district, After the successful piloting and assessing the results from the field, I hope relevant government and non-government organizations will support to the usage of this app nationwide.”

Prof. Dr. Md. Abu Jafor, director general, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said ”Tools like the IMCI apps are the kind of innovation we need to actualise our long-term health goals for 2030. We must focus on services that strengthen the sector through integrated systems, supported by multisectoral collaboration and expertise. We need to accelerate our services to reach all healthcare workers at the grassroots level. We need to start with primary healthcare because that is the start of a child’s healthy life. The pilot of the IMCI app is the start of actions that have the potential to transform the health landscape.”

Shumon Shengupta, country director, Save the Children in Bangladesh said “I am often asked by our global counterparts about the innovations emerging from Bangladesh - a country widely regarded as a beacon of new thinking and innovative approaches within the development sector of the Global South.

As Save the Children, "we are committed to investing in healthcare innovations, particularly through the use of IMCI (Integrated Management of Childhood Illness) applications," he said.

"These digital solutions are designed to maximise impact, strengthen our collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, and help scale access to quality healthcare nationwide. Together, we aim to further solidify Bangladesh’s role as a leader in sustainable development and transformative health outcomes.”

Dr. Tahmina Ferdousi of Save the Children and Dr. Md. Jahurul Islam from DGHS shared the overview and next course of actions of the IMCI app through presentation.

*The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) digital app, developed by Save the Children under the Sponsorship Innovation and Learning Fund (SILF), is a key component of Bangladesh's Smart Health Vision. Aligned with national IMCI guidelines, the app equips healthcare providers with a simplified, digital protocol for assessing, classifying, and managing childhood illnesses in children under five. By digitizing health data and streamlining care pathways, the IMCI app plays a crucial role in improving child survival nationwide.

The piloting phase of the IMCI app will focus on ensuring adequate training, monitoring, and implementation in all 10 upazilas of Barisal. This approach fosters a shared commitment between government and development partners to drive digital transformation in child health, ensuring that the benefits of the app are fully realized.

The IMCI app’s integration into the national system was supported by the Health Systems Innovation and Learning (HSiL) Grand Challenge Fund, marking a notable example of successful public-private collaboration in digital health innovation, reports UNB.