In 2025, as global health agencies adjusted to tighter budgets, WHO Kenya and the Ministry of Health transitioned to a virtual platform to train health records and information officers in Kenya.

The online format enabled broad participation, with over 1,000 health records and information officers from across all 47 counties registering and 875 successfully completing the month-long programme. The training focused on advanced data analysis and geospatial visualization using Microsoft Excel and QGIS.

Health records and information officers play a critical role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of health data across public and private health facilities. Strengthening their capacity in data analysis and visualization supports the generation of quality-assured data, evidence-based decision-making, priority setting, progress monitoring, and improved health outcomes.

Participants joined from all levels across Kenya, including remote health facilities, national and county referral hospitals, private health facilities, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and academic institutions. By utilizing virtual platforms such as Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp, the training was delivered efficiently at scale, resulting in estimated cost savings of approximately USD 900,000 in travel and logistical expenses.

“Embracing a fully virtual training model not only expanded access but set a precedent for sustainable, cost-effective capacity-building at scale,” said Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Kenya Representative. “This success reflects our strong partnership with the Ministry of Health and our commitment to strengthening Kenya’s health information systems.”

To address internet challenges and busy schedules, the course offered recorded sessions and downloadable materials, enabling self-paced learning.

“I have gained important techniques on data analysis and visualization that I will not just use at my workplace but to also empower my colleagues,” said Asha Mohammed Ibrahim, a Senior Health Records and Information Officer from Mandera West Sub County in Mandera County, one of the remotest counties in Kenya.

“This training went beyond expectation,” said Emma Wavinya, Sub-County Health Records Officer and Information Officer from Kaiti Sub County in Makueni County. “The skills we gained will significantly improve how we manage and present health data, right from the facility level.”

Facilitated by WHO-Kenya technical officers Leonard Cosmas, Victor Mogire, and Stephen Karuru, alongside Samuel Omara, a GIS specialist from WHO’s headquarters. In a post-training survey, 80% of the 434 respondents rated the course as excellent, with the majority reporting measurable improvements in their skills.

“It is evident that distance is no barrier to skills building when the content is well structured as in the case in this training,” said Cecilia Wandera, the Deputy Director Health Records and Information Management at the Ministry of Health.

“We encourage all participants to actively integrate the skills and knowledge acquired into their daily data management practices”, said Dr Ayub Manya, the Head of Directorate of Digital Health and Health Informatics at the Ministry of Health.

This success highlights an important shift in how training can be delivered to reach frontline health workers, including those in hard-to-reach settings. It reflects a commitment to improving accessibility, fostering innovation, and building resilience in the context of limited global resources.

As a next step, WHO Kenya will document lessons learned from the training to support the refinement and potential adoption of this approach in future capacity-building initiatives across various health programme areas.