This group defines RHIS as an institution based health information system that generates data from health facilities and communities, and includes individual record systems, service record systems and the resource record systems. The group recognizes that ‘all users’ from both public and the private sectors are important stakeholders for RHIS, and also includes clients and communities being served by the health system.

Membership
Members of the focus group will be drawn from the AeHIN members.

Vision
By 2025, AeHIN member countries will have better routine health information for better decisions to achieve better health.

Mission
As an AeHIN focus group, we will support strengthening the RHIS in the public and private sectors to produce good quality information for effective and efficient use to improve health service delivery and contribute towards robust health systems.

Goals
The main aim of this focus group is to support improved data definitions, collection, analysis and management to generate quality information and using this information to strengthen the health care delivery system through improved planning and management in AeHIN countries.

Objectives
The RHIS Focus Group will

• Support countries to monitor progress towards SDG 3 through RHIS strengthening
• Advocate for using information generated through RHIS for decision making by all users and at all levels of the health system
• Capacity building of AeHIN countries in RHIS through training workshops, webinars, research, system support and follow-up
• Share and/or develop and/or adapt best practices, standards and tools and lessons learnt
• Build and sustain partnerships for RHIS strengthening within and between countries
• Make appropriate use of ICT in institution-based RHIS

Sustainability
The focus group will work towards strengthening RHIS in AeHIN countries. The focus group will explore opportunities for diversifying funding sources and developing partnerships with potential donors working in AeHIN member countries. This process, which will be incorporated into the network’s action plan, will help to develop long-term sustainability and financial management strategies for the network. Sustainability will be further built around engaging passionate RHIS champions [from Ministry, University, NGOs etc.] within individual countries. The RHIS focus group and national champions will jointly encourage a wider engagement among RHIS stakeholders within individual countries. The focus group will foster a collaborative culture for promoting the sharing of RHIS successes and lessons-learnt.

Management
WHO–SEARO, MEASURE Evaluation, and the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), are collaborating to launch this new Asian RHIS Network that will be associated and aligned with AeHIN. A Steering Committee and a Secretariat will be set up as soon as AeHIN has officially endorsed the creation of the RHIS subgroup. The Secretariat will be managed by PHFI.