Health Information Systems, Intersectionality, and Public Health in Africa

Health Information Systems

Organized systems for collecting, analyzing, and using health data to guide decisions, policies, and resource allocation.

Interconnectedness framework

An approach that views health outcomes as shaped by linked social, economic, political, and environmental factors.

Intersectionality theory

A framework showing how overlapping identities (gender, race, class, etc.) create unique experiences of oppression or privilege.

Health Disparities

Differences in health outcomes between groups are caused by social, economic, or structural inequalities.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true value.

Validity

Whether a tool or measure actually captures what it claims to measure.

Communicable diseases

Illnesses caused by infectious agents that can spread between people (e.g., TB, HIV, malaria).

Non-communicable diseases

Chronic conditions do not spread person‑to‑person (e.g., diabetes, cancer, hypertension).

Sector-wide approach

A development strategy where donors and governments coordinate funding and planning across an entire sector (like health) rather than through isolated projects.

Neoliberalism

A political‑economic ideology promoting free markets, reduced government spending, privatization, and individual responsibility.

Cash transfers

Direct payments to individuals or households to reduce poverty or improve health, education, or nutrition outcomes.

Commercialization

Turning public goods or services into market‑based products driven by profit.

Privatization

Shifting services or assets from government control to private ownership or management.

Mortality

The number of deaths in a population within a given time.

Morbidity

The presence of illness, disease, or disability in a population.

Incidence

The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a specific time period.

Prevalence

The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a specific time period.

Health informatics

The use of digital tools, data systems, and technology to manage and analyze health information.

Bio-medical approaches

Health strategies focused on biological causes and medical treatments rather than social or structural determinants.

Epidemiological survey

A study that collects data on health conditions, risks, or behaviors in a population to identify patterns and causes.

Women's Empowerment

Increasing women's agency, resources, decision‑making power, and control over their lives, health, and opportunities.

Global Burden of Disease

A comprehensive measure of worldwide disease, disability, and death used to compare health problems across countries and over time.