Kenya is taking steps to strengthen how eye health services are monitored by embarking on a journey to establish case-based reporting on eye care services in 11 counties of West Kenya. The approach will enable health services to follow individual patients through different stages of care, from registration and clinical assessment to treatment, surgery, follow-up and outcomes.
The initiative is being led by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and key development partners (The Fred Hollows Foundation and Peek Vision). It represents a significant milestone in global eye health reporting, with Kenya being the first country worldwide to roll out WHO’s normative guidance on case-based reporting for eye care.
Reliable, timely data are essential for planning and delivering quality eye care. Routine information from health facilities can help health authorities understand who is accessing services, which services are being provided, where gaps exist and whether patients are achieving good outcomes.
Following the publication of a guidance document for aggregate reporting, the WHO Vision and Eye Care Programme developed an additional set of standard indicators for case-based reporting on eye care services to support countries in collecting and using this information routinely. The indicators cover areas such as service utilization, access, quality and outcomes, and can support decision-making at facility, county and national levels.
Unlike the aggregate reporting, which records the number of services delivered over a given period, case-based reporting follows individual patients through their care journey. This makes it possible to identify where patients may be lost between stages of care and to monitor continuity of care and outcomes more effectively.
“The Kisumu technical workshop marks a fundamental shift in how Kenya monitors and responds to visual impairment. Moving from aggregate monthly reporting to digital, case-based reporting will give health managers the tools to follow each patient's journey – from community outreach and diagnosis to treatment and long-term surgical outcomes. This approach will strengthen accountability, improve follow-up care and help ensure that people with visual impairment receive timely and continuous support,” said Mr Patrick Chemosit, ophthalmic clinical officer and cataract surgeon.
For example, information can be used to track a patient's journey from screening and diagnosis through referral, treatment or surgery and follow-up. It can also provide more timely information on issues such as waiting times, pre-operative vision, access to diabetic retinopathy screening, treatment uptake, complications and surgical outcomes.
Bringing stakeholders together
From 5 to 7 August 2026, the Ministry of Health convened a three-day technical workshop in Kisumu to support the implementation of case-based reporting for eye care services in the Lake Basin region.
Facilitated by WHO and the HISP Centre at the University of Oslo, the workshop brought together county Health Records and Information Officers, ophthalmic clinical officers and cataract surgeons, ophthalmologists, health information systems specialists, monitoring and evaluation teams and county eye health coordinators.
Participants reviewed the WHO standard indicators and discussed how they could be adapted to the Kenyan health system. They also mapped clinical and data flows to support the transition from paper-based monthly reporting to electronic, longitudinal tracking of patients.
The workshop also explored how data collected at the point of care could be connected with Kenya's national digital health information architecture. Participants discussed the roles of different stakeholders and agreed on initial steps and timelines for implementation.
Building a stronger eye health information system
The transition to case-based reporting is expected to improve the completeness, timeliness and usefulness of eye health data. It will allow health managers to better understand service delivery, monitor patient outcomes and identify gaps in the continuity of care.
The approach also brings together different parts of the health system. Implementation involves the Ministry of Health's Eye Health and Digital Health Information units, health information systems teams, eye care providers and development partners.
“Digital health data integration is a top government priority under the Digital Health Act. The Ministry of Health is committed to ensuring that the same reporting requirements apply consistently across public, private and faith-based health organizations. Standardized reporting will improve the quality, accuracy and comparability of health data across the country. Integrating digital health information systems will support better decision-making, resource allocation and patient care. A unified reporting framework will strengthen accountability and help ensure that no community is left behind in the delivery of essential health services, including eye health,” said Dr Penny Muange, Ministry of Health, Kenya.
The initiative also highlights the importance of ensuring that data from all eye care providers can contribute to national health information systems.
“There is an urgent need to structurally link private eye care providers to national public health data systems. Private facilities serve a substantial number of patients, but their data often remain siloed, limiting the completeness and effectiveness of national health information systems. Strong collaboration, common standards and interoperable digital platforms are essential to ensure that data from all health-care providers contribute to better patient outcomes,” said Mr Kennedy Alwenya, The Fred Hollows Foundation Kenya.
With WHO support, the Ministry of Health is undertaking a readiness assessment and developing a country-specific indicator set and standard operating procedures. The national reporting system will then be configured to support case-based eye care reporting, followed by training for eye care workers and data clerks.
From workshop to implementation
Following the adoption of Kenya's case-based eye care reporting indicators, the Kenya Health Information System will be configured with support from the HISP Centre at the University of Oslo and the Ministry of Health's health information systems team.
A pilot will first be established in a sample of hospitals before the approach is expanded across the Lake Basin region. The experience will also contribute to learning on how WHO's case-based eye care reporting indicators can be implemented in routine health information systems.
Kenya is the first country to align a case-based eye care programme in DHIS2 with the new WHO indicators. Its experience will help inform further implementation and forthcoming guidance on case-based eye care reporting.
Photos: Mary Zuber / The Fred Hollows Foundation