Abstract: The integration of District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) is one of the most cost-effective investments used by developing countries to improve data management in health information systems. With this strategy, coupled with the needs required to meet goals stipulated by global indicators, Jamaica’s HIV Programme executed the national roll-out of the Unique Identification Code (UIC) for HIV prevention component, using the DHIS2 platform.
The objectives of this study is to bring into perspective, standardisation of data collection and reporting for HIV and Syphilis cases, and at the same time, showcase improvements in the management of HIV/Syphilis health-related data on a national level with the use of an electronic system, to guide the strategies used for HIV prevention in the targeted population.
The design of the comprehensive approach, guided by the Steering Committee of the UIC, encompassed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This is to assess the needs for implementing a functional system in the health sphere. The implementation of the UIC, DHIS2 HIV Prevention platform used a purposive sample to achieve the objectives of the National Integrated Strategic Plan.
The design includes an UIC pilot analysis, UIC-DHIS2 platform development and training with feedback, along with the data sites’ assessments for evaluation, prior to implementation on a national level. The development of the Data Security Protocol gave ethical directives as part of the implementation process.
The comprehensive process resulted in a successful implementation of the DHIS2 HIV Prevention platform, taking both ethical and technical issues into considerations, especially during the national roll-out of the UIC. The series of trainings with mixed methodologies, highlighted barriers and challenges prior to and during the implementation. This had helped to guide the process. In addition to the delivery of the UIC and the DHIS2 HIV Prevention Platform, all data sites were assessed to ensure that they were viable for the needs with increased attention paid to the security of the data.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that standardised data collection instruments along with the use of UIC for HIV and Syphilis reporting are effective ways of monitoring key indicators to drive the programme-policy decision-making. The DHIS2 HIV Prevention Component provides the solution for improvement in tracking HIV prevention indicators.
Keywords: District Health Information Software 2, HIV Prevention Platform, Unique Identification Code.
Title: Using the District Health Information Software 2 as a Think-Tank Strategy for HIV and Syphilis Prevention in Jamaica
Author: Tazhmoye V. Crawford, Collin A. Dosunmu, Kimalie F. Parchment
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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