HeRAMS (Health Resources Availability Mapping System) is an electronic system for monitoring medical resources, a WHO tool for standardizing and assessing the availability of medical services, mostly used for emergency response.[1][2]
This method to date has mostly been implemented as cross-sectional surveys, but should instead be used as a real-time monitoring system.[3] Acute and protracted crises have grave immediate and long-term effects on population health and health systems, which is particularly evident in low-income countries. Assessing the availability of health services is essential in understanding the disrupted health systems' capacities and weaknesses. HeRAMS enables health sector stakeholders to make managerial decisions and to implement effective planning in the field of health care in time, especially crucial during humanitarian emergencies or healthcare optimization.[1][4] These decisions save lives and reduce suffering, especially in response to emergencies. Health sector evaluations assessing the effectiveness and applicability of HeRAMS were conducted in Sudan,[4][5][6]Mali,[7]Philippines,[8]Central African Republic,[9][10]Syria,[11]Fiji,[12][1][13]Nigeria,[14]Yemen,[15][2]Iraq[16] and Ukraine.[17][18]