Transitioning of the maternal and newborn health surveillance online digital health (MATSurvey) platform from a research institution to the government DHIS2 tracker

Objective: The successful transition of a digital platform from a research institution to a government system in under-resourced environments necessitates effective cooperation among various stakeholders and a strong sense of responsibility from both the Malawi Ministry of Health (MoH) and all users. The article aims to describe the implementation and lessons learned in transitioning a maternal surveillance digital platform (MATSurvey) from a research-based to a government-owned system in Malawi. Methods: The transition process involved active participation of the MoH leadership and close cooperation with healthcare workers and partners. The process comprised six stages, including stakeholder engagement, user feedback, system design, obtaining stakeholder input on the design, system development and testing, piloting and full implementation. The process emphasised stakeholder engagement, with technical teams from the MoH and Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme incorporating feedback during development. Results: The successful transition of the MATSurvey platform from the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme to the Digital Health Information System 2 tracker required strong leadership from the MoH, active engagement of partners and stakeholders, and a gradual, inclusive process. Challenges such as reliance on donor funding and delays in government support were notable, while ensuring clear data governance policies, system scalability, effective communication, and comprehensive training contributed to a smoother transition and successful adoption. Conclusion: Transitioning of a digital health platform such as the MATSurvey platform requires strong leadership and supervision to ensure adoption, acceptance and ownership. The active involvement of MoH, partners and stakeholders accelerated transitioning of the platform despite challenges in funding, which ultimately resulted in delaying the process.