Meghalaya signs pact for annual health survey to improve policy planning

The Meghalaya government, on May 12, signed an agreement with Oxford Policy Management India to conduct an annual health survey aimed at generating detailed public health data for policy planning and monitoring of healthcare schemes across the state.

The agreement was signed between the State Health Systems Resource Centre (SHSRC) Meghalaya and Oxford Policy Management India in the presence of National Health Mission Meghalaya Mission Director Ramakrishna Chitturi, officials said.

D Valerie Laloo signed the agreement on behalf of the state health department, while Prabal Vikram Singh represented Oxford Policy Management India.

Officials said the initiative is intended to strengthen evidence-based healthcare delivery by creating a system for regular and detailed collection of health-related information from across Meghalaya.

Unlike conventional surveys conducted periodically, the proposed exercise will focus on generating continuous public health statistics that can support policy decisions and improve the implementation of healthcare programmes.

Authorities said the data gathered through the survey would help the government identify emerging health concerns, measure disparities between districts, and monitor the performance of welfare schemes more effectively.

The state also expects the initiative to improve accountability in healthcare delivery by enabling closer monitoring of services and outcomes in different regions.

Officials noted that access to timely and location-specific data would allow departments to allocate resources more efficiently and make informed decisions on healthcare infrastructure and service delivery.

The collaboration is part of Meghalaya’s broader effort to strengthen data-driven governance and institutional monitoring mechanisms within the public healthcare system, an official added.