Using Cell Phones to Monitor Availability of Malaria Medicines

M. Thulani Mbatha

September 15, 2010

Outline Of Presentation Background on President’s Malaria Initiative

(PMI) End Use Verification Tool Objectives of End Use Verification Tool EpiSurveyor Mobile for Supply Chain &

Pharmaceutical Management Malawi Pilot Challenges Lessons Learned

Background The USAID | DELIVER PROJECT and MSH/SPS

developed End Use Verification (EUV) Tool A process to look at the availability and use of

malaria medicines at the health facility level 17 Supply Chain Indicators 20 Malaria Case Management indicators

Objectives of EUV Tool Verify availability of malaria medicines Provide evidence that malaria medicines are

reaching the end users Monitor supply chain management of malaria

medicines Provide information on malaria case management Strengthen NMCP ongoing supervision/monitoring

efforts for effective supply chain system

Paper Based Tool

Why EpiSurveyor? Free mobile-phone-and-web-based data

collection system Scalable Cost effective Can function on simple cell phones Open-Source Less TA support

Usefulness of EpiSurveyor

Eliminates need for data entry

Automates analysis and reporting

Reduces time and costs of data collection

From Donors, NMCP, NGO Partners

Malawi Pilot Malawi supervision tool developed in early 2008 End Use Verification tool integrated into Malawi

supervision tool in 2009 Visit to 56 health facilities (district, central, rural

hospitals, and health centers) Supply Chain and Malaria Case Management

indicators

Three Pilots Practicability of basic (free) EpiSurveyor

Cell Phone Data Collection Integration of Malawi supervision activity Application of Global Positioning System (GPS)

directly from cell phones

Objectives Strengthen supply chain system Implement integrated Malawi supervision activity

with EUV indicators Build capacity within National Malaria Control

Program (NMCP)

Methodology Fifty-six health facilities visited in one and half

weeks Five teams each with one cell phone Updating and digitization of the forms in one

week One day training for data collectors

Digitizing the Form

Data Collection

EpiSurveyor Overview

Supply Chain Indicators # of facilities with stock-outs for ACTs, RDTs, &

drugs for the treatment of severe malaria Expiry of ACTs stocked at the health facilities Quantity of commodities ordered vs quantities

received Quantity of commodities received vs physical

inventory Management of pharmaceutical supplies,

training levels, & storage conditions

Malaria Case Management Indicators MCM including malaria cases treated to number

of treatments dispensed # of patients presenting with fever that are

diagnosed with malaria % of uncomplicated malaria patients treated with

a monotherapy % of uncomplicated malaria cases diagnosed

(Clinically, RDT, Microscopy)

Data Analysis

Immediate Data Analysis

Challenges

Dependency on internet connectivity Data storage for MoH Burden of the cost by MoH Monitoring the use of cell phones for

personal use

Early Lessons Learned Scalability in resource constraints settings Sustainability when focusing on the end users Can save time, cost effective, apply simple

everyday life tools Less dependency on TA Can reduce staffing needs Can be Integrated and it is Interoperable Less need for IT support

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