Maarifa ndiyo msingi wa mifumo ya afya inayofanya kazi kwa kiwango cha juu, sera zenye mafanikio, na mafanikio ya malengo ya afya ya kitaifa na kikanda. Maarifa management has a big role to play, by encouraging continuous learning and sharing—and the application of that knowledge to services—leading to health systems that are responsive to patient and population needs.

In practice, knowledge management can take many forms. It includes activities that:

• help information flow between people, organizations, and countries so that they can share experiences and expertise,
• present information in ways that are easy for people to access, understand and apply to their context,
• nurture lasting practices of learning and sharing that are authentic to where people are.

Wakati wafanyakazi wa afya duniani wanashiriki kile wanachojua, na wanaweza kupata kile wanachohitaji, programu zinaweza kufikia uwezo wao kamili na kuepuka kurudia makosa ya gharama kubwa. Hii inamaanisha matokeo bora kwa watu binafsi, jamii na mifumo ya afya. 

Knowledge management can take on different forms depending on people’s needs and the challenges you’re trying to solve.  

• Kuleta watu pamoja uliza questions and elicit tacit knowledge — or the know-how in people’s heads
• Kusambaza maarifa (au kuwaambia it) kwa vikundi vilivyoainishwa vya watu
• Kuchapisha na kutafuta mbinu za kushiriki maarifa wazi na kuruhusu watu kuvuta taarifa wanazohitaji, wanapozihitaji

When implemented successfully, knowledge management has lasting impact. Resources are optimized when countries and partners can practice evidence-based decision-making, learning, and adaptation. Public health programs that often have ambitious goals, but possess limited time, money, and human resources to execute the work, can rapidly learn what works and what does not and adapt their work.