Turning Health Data into Lifesaving Decisions: Michael Mekbib’s Leadership in Global Health Informatics —

By Ugo Aliogo

For many African nations, collecting and using reliable health data has been a persistent challenge. Information was often scattered across programs, reports arrived late, and frontline health workers relied heavily on manual record-keeping. Without timely and accurate data, governments struggled to plan effectively, outbreaks were detected too late, and precious resources were misallocated. A critical factor was the shortage of professionals trained at the intersection of public health and technology individuals capable of designing and managing robust digital health systems.

The rise of a new generation of African health informatics experts is beginning to change this landscape, showing how data and technology can transform public health. Among them is Michael Mekbib, whose journey from Ethiopia to Kenya and, ultimately, to the continental stage illustrates the power of investing in people. His contributions—ranging from managing Africa’s pandemic response, to strengthening Kenya’s disease surveillance, to digitizing rural health posts and the national health information system in Ethiopia, demonstrate that building human capacity is just as vital as building digital systems.
Michael began his professional journey in clinical laboratory science, joining Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, one of the country’s big institutions. But behind its reputation lay broken systems: monthly performance reports required hours of tallying handwritten registers.
His first exposure to digital transformation came when he was selected as a focal point for the hospital’s early Electronic Medical Record (EMR) pilot. The project’s goal: replace folders with structured digital records. He earned a scholarship through the University of Oslo’s collaboration with Addis Ababa University, joining the Health Informatics program, setting him on the path to reshape the country’s health information future.

Early in his work with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, as Health Information System Coordinator, Michael faced a daunting challenge. The country’s health data was disorganized, delayed, and disconnected.Vital health data was scattered across incompatible formats and systems, with each region often using its own tools and reporting templates. This fragmentation crippled efforts to monitor disease trends, assess program performance, or mount timely responses to public health threats. Without a unified national system, decisions were made in the dark, leading to delayed interventions, resource misallocation, and preventable loss of life.

Determined to drive change, Michael became a central architect of Ethiopia’s digital health transformation. He played a leading role in designing and rolling out both the revised Health Management Information System and the nationwide Community Health Information System. One of his most significant achievements was spearheading the piloting and national scale-up of the District Health Information System (DHIS2) which today serves as Ethiopia’s health information backbone and stands as the largest DHIS2 implementation in the world, covering a population of 115 million. For the first time, health workers across thousands of facilities could electronically submit standardized data, replacing fragmented, paper-based reporting. This breakthrough transformed how health information was collected, aggregated, and analyzed, enabling policymakers and program managers to monitor vaccination coverage, logistics, and service delivery in real time.

The impact was striking. Reporting delays shrank from months to days. Data quality and completeness improved dramatically. Health extension workers, once limited to paper notebooks, began reporting critical information digitally, everything from immunization status and antenatal visits to sanitation access and family planning services. Through the Community Health Information System, the majority of the rural population was supported with data-informed care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, working with Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), Michael designed Ethiopia’s real-time vaccine data visualization system enabling decision makers to have district-level monitoring, resource allocation and partner coordination.

At the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Michael Mekbib has established himself as a leading figure in digital health transformation across the continent. He spearheaded the deployment of Africa’s continental data monitoring platform, enabling more than 30 countries to collect, analyze, and share data in real time, a transformative achievement that enhanced coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic. His leadership extends to the development of outbreak surveillance systems and the digitization of Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs), equipping African nations with tools to detect and respond to epidemics with unprecedented speed and precision.
Committed to sustainability and capacity building, Michael has trained over 3,000 public health professionals with World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), developed eLearning platforms for Kenya’s immunization program under a US CDC project, and guided digital health initiatives across 31 countries. He has also been a driving force in advancing cross-border data harmonization, improving interoperability and enabling Africa to act collectively during public health crises.

Michael Mekbib envisions a future where the world has resilient, interoperable digital health systems that seamlessly integrate routine care delivery with emergency preparedness and response. His goal is to advance digital infrastructures that not only strengthen disease surveillance and vaccination programs, but also enable real-time decision-making during outbreaks and humanitarian crises. As a leading Public Health Informatics professional, Michael is part of a new generation of digital health architects redefining how nations confront disease, disaster, and development challenges. His work, rooted in local experience and now extending to global platforms, remains centered on one mission: building data-driven systems that protect health, preserve lives, and secure a healthier future for all.