openIMIS Newsletter - May 2026
Welcome to our May 2026 newsletter! Many exciting things have happened that we want to call your attention to:
Highlights
- Save the date: Online panel discussion on “Forging Stronger Partnerships and Global Scalability”
- New video launched on the openIMIS software
Recent Articles Published
- openIMIS release – April 2026
- Launch of openIMIS implementation map
Recent Events and Activities
- AeHIN general meeting | May 13
- UNICEF workshop on disability management systems | May 11-12
- March Bhela – Enhancing the offline mode of openIMIS through academic partnerships
- Recording available from UHC webinar "AI in Health Financing: Strengthening Systems for Universal Coverage"
Key Resources
Your openIMIS Coordination Desk Team
Highlights
Online panel discussion on “Forging Stronger Partnerships and Global Scalability”
We are pleased to invite you to a panel discussion on Forging Stronger Partnerships and Global Scalability, offered as a hybrid session during the Community Meeting 2026 in Kathmandu.
Date: June 24, 2026
Time: 14:00 - 15:30 (NPT) / 10:15 - 11:45 (CEST)
A more detailed agenda will follow on the openIMIS Wiki page.
New Video launched on the openIMIS software
A new video is now available walking viewers through how the openIMIS software helps governments and organizations manage social protection and health financing programs.
Click here to watch on our wiki or share on LinkedIn.
News
openIMIS release - April 2026
The April 2026 software release has been made available. The new release brings functionality that are especially useful in the context of cash transfer programs, with tracking of working hours of beneficiaries and Timesheet-Based Payment.
Click here to find the full Release Note.
Kindly be aware of the Service Desk to report issues that you might experience with this new version.
Launch of openIMIS implementation map
The openIMIS Initiative is pleased to announce the launch of the interactive openIMIS implementation map in April 2026, a comprehensive resource designed to showcase where openIMIS is being deployed worldwide. This tool provides country-level insights into openIMIS implementations, offering a clear and accessible overview of its global reach.
The map currently features a selection of implementations, with additional ones to be added over time. We welcome your input to ensure the map remains accurate and up to date. If you would like to suggest changes or contribute more information about an implementation in your country, please contact us at [email protected].
Recent Events and Activities
AeHIN General Meeting | May 13
From openIMIS to OpenJKN: Co-Creating a Learning Platform for the JKN Information System
At the AeHIN General Meeting 2026, held on May 13 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the openIMIS initiative, with support from Swiss, German and EU international cooperation through GIZ, co-hosted a session with the Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN), the Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Kesehatan (BPJS-K), the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM). The post-conference session ‘From openIMIS to OpenJKN: Co-Creating a Learning Platform for the JKN Information System’ focused on the introduction of the OpenJKN: an open-source module and plugin built on the openIMIS platform to simulate and support learning about the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN), Indonesia's national health insurance system.
A total of 34 local participants from the government, academia, and civil society attended the session in person, while 24 participants joined online. After a thorough introduction of the openIMIS initiative by the Team Lead Saurav Bhattarai, the team from UGM with Anis Fuad, Dr. Lukman Heryawan, and Ariefan Dipokusumo shared how they developed the OpenJKN plugin on top of openIMIS to bridge the gap between the openIMIS standard release and the more complex business processes of the JKN. The platform allows students to simulate key scenarios such as enrollment, service access, and membership updates in a sandbox environment.
After the meeting, the participants set out to create a OpenJKN Community of Practice (CoP) and are looking forward to continuing the discussions regarding OpenJKN at the regional and global level through the forthcoming openIMIS Community Meeting in Kathmandu, in June.
UNICEF workshop on disability management systems (Bonn, Germany) | May 11-12
On May 11-12, UNICEF, the openIMIS Coordination Desk, the Digital Convergence Initiative (DCI), and GIZ’s Global Alliances for Social Protection and Inclusion for Persons with Disability teams convened a workshop at GIZ in Bonn, Germany to discuss disability management information systems (DMIS). We looked into the conceptual and operational scope of DMISs, the interoperability requirements, and the development of a DMIS solution. Experiences from countries where related reforms and system development processes are already underway helped ground the discussions to implementation realities. The discussions built on ongoing collaboration around disability-inclusive social protection systems, including upcoming guidance and DCI’s work on interoperability between disability registries and social protection information systems.
March Bhela – Enhancing the offline mode of openIMIS through academic partnerships
The March 2026 Bhela showcased Marvin Marqua’s master’s research on developing an offline functionality in openIMIS, conducted as part of his studies at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.
Offline capability remains critical in low-connectivity settings, where health facilities may struggle to verify patients’ eligibility or to submit claims when offline. This can have serious consequences both for the continuity and quality of care for patients and for the facilities’ own cash flow.
Marvin’s research compared three digital architectures: Progressive Web Applications (PWA), Local-First architecture, and Desktop applications. He found all three to be viable options, with PWA ranking the highest. He then undertook a deep dive into the PWA architecture, assessing its potential benefits, limitations, and requirements for integration with openIMIS. Read more about the Bhela and access the recording on our website.
Recording available from UHC webinar "AI in Health Financing: Strengthening Systems for Universal Coverage"
As the world strives to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), countries face mounting challenges in allocating limited resources to build equitable and resilient health systems. The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with political conflicts, food insecurity, and climate change, have further strained progress. According to WHO’s latest UHC Monitoring Report “about 2 billion people are facing financial hardship, including 1 billion experiencing catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending.” In response, digital transformation is being pushed forward, and Digital Public Goods and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are emerging as powerful tools to optimize health financing, reduce inefficiencies, and improve service delivery.
To explore these opportunities, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with Amref Health Africa and GIZ hosted a UHC Day webinar on December 10, 2025. The event brought together policymakers, health financing experts, and technology leaders to share real-world experiences and discuss how AI can transform health insurance processes. For those who were unable to attend, a comprehensive summary, presentation slides, and a full recording of the webinar is now available.
Key resources
- Introduction to openIMIS (self-paced course)
- “AI for Health Insurance” e-Learning course
You can also read this newsletter article on our LinkedIn page here.