No matter which health system building block you are trying to improve, you need specific data, information, and knowledge to inform your decision-making process—this is where good knowledge management comes in handy.

“The Intersection of Knowledge Management and Health Systems Strengthening: Implications from the Malawi Knowledge for Health Demonstration Project” provides an interesting case study of the connection between improved knowledge management and health systems strengthening.  Even though the K4Health Malawi project was focused on improving gaps in the FP/RH and HIV/AIDS information pathway (specifically links between information use and performance), we saw wider heath system improvements as a result of the KM improvements implemented. A happy turn of events!

K4Health Knowledge Management/Health Systems Strengthening Conceptual Framework

The project’s evaluation (report forthcoming) highlights 10 ways that this project improved health system performance across five of the six building blocks: health information; health workforce; medicines, vaccines, and technology; service delivery; and leadership and governance. The 6^th building block, health financing, was not directly affected, though we can see already ways that KM could improve health financing in other programs.