Solomon Islands reviews health indicators to help frontline staff make better care decisions

“We need data that helps us see the problem quickly, not reports that take more time to understand,” said Dr Henry Kako, Director, National TB and Leprosy Program. Monthly health summaries should help staff spot when medicines are running low, when fewer children are being vaccinated, or when disease patterns may signal an outbreak. But crowded forms and dashboards can make the right information hard to find.

Across Solomon Islands, health workers and managers are required to navigate multiple data-entry forms and indicators distributed across more than 500 dashboards and 39 datasets. Of the 532 dashboards, 71% record fewer than 50 visits, while only 10% of aggregate forms are utilized consistently and submitted in a timely manner.

A recent data quality study conducted in approximately 125 health facilities in 2025 further found that, in 56.4% of facilities, data-entry responsibilities are assigned to a single staff member, and that 86.7% of respondents require more than one hour to complete one of the many reporting forms, specifically the monthly reporting tally. This burden is compounded by the requirement to complete numerous additional forms. These findings underscore the need to simplify and prioritize indicators and forms in order to reduce the administrative burden on healthcare workers, thereby improving data quality and supporting more informed decision-making.

Launched in Honiara last week, the national review aims to reduce reporting clutter, sharpen the country’s core health indicators, and make routine data easier for health workers and managers to use.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services convened programme directors, provincial health leaders, managers and partners in Honiara to identify which indicators are essential, which reporting requirements can be simplified, and how routine data can better support action at national, provincial and facility levels.

The last major review was completed in 2017. Since then, health priorities have changed, reporting demands have grown, and digital systems have expanded, making it timely to reassess which indicators are still needed and which can be simplified.


WHO Solomon Islands Technical Officer for Health Information Systems Mr Vasco Nuno Carvalho explaining the importance of the workshop to participants. Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria

“This review is about making sure the information collected from health facilities is useful, practical and focused on today’s priorities,” said Dr Gregory Jilini, Acting Permanent Secretary of Health. “Clearer indicators will help managers and health workers see problems earlier, use resources better and take action where communities need it most.”


Dr Gregory Jilini, Acting Permanent Secretary of Health. Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria

The workshop focused on distilling the information that is essential for managing services, and on aligning indicators, forms and dashboards to that purpose while minimizing added work.

“The challenge is not the absence of data. It is whether programme managers and provincial teams can find, understand, trust and act on the data,” said Dr Howard Sobel, WHO Representative in Solomon Islands. “If reporting forms are too crowded or unclear, the health system may collect data every month and still fail to see what needs action. We need indicators that are clearer, feasible and actually used.”


Dr Howard Sobel, WHO Representative in Solomon Islands. Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria

WHO is supporting the Ministry to simplify routine reporting, strengthen data quality, and make health information easier to use for planning, supervision and timely action.

Australian High Commission First Secretary for Health, Jemma Thompson, said strong health data helps turn information into better services.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure. When health leaders have a clear picture of what is happening across the country, they can plan ahead, respond more quickly, and direct resources where they are needed most,” Ms Thompson said.

“This review will help identify what data is most useful, where the gaps are, and how it can be used to improve services for Solomon Islanders.”

Aligning health indicators with today’s risks and future needs

The review will also look at whether routine reporting captures the risks that are becoming more important for Solomon Islands, including climate-sensitive diseases, environmental health threats, water and sanitation challenges, food security concerns and emerging infections. Stronger, more focused indicators can help the health system detect risks earlier, prepare better and respond faster.

Consultations with health programmes and partners will continue in the coming months to finalize a smaller, clearer set of indicators and reporting tools that better reflect current health priorities and are easier to use.

The goal is simple: fewer indicators, clearer reports and dashboards that help health workers see problems sooner, use resources better and act faster when communities face new or changing health risks.