Article
Improving public health information: a data quality intervention in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Bulletin of the World Health Organisation (impact factor:
4.64).
03/2012;
90(3):176-82.
DOI:10.2471/BLT.11.092759
pp.176-82
Source: PubMed
- Citations (2)
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Cited In (0)
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Article: Accuracy and quality of immunization information systems in forty-one low income countries.
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ABSTRACT: To measure the accuracy and quality of immunization information systems in a range of low-income countries eligible to receive GAVI support. The Data Quality Audit (DQA) uses a WHO validated, standard methodology to compare data collected from health unit (HU) records of immunizations administered with reports of immunizations at central level and to collect quality indicators of the reporting system. The verification factor (VF), as a measure of accuracy, expresses the proportion of immunizations reported at national level that can be tracked down to the HU. A VF of 80% or above entitles countries to receive additional GAVI financial support. Quality indicators are assigned points which were summed to obtain quality scores (QS) at national, district and HU levels. DQAs included here were conducted between 2002 and 2005 in 41 countries, encompassing 1082 primary healthcare units in 188 randomly selected districts. Almost half of countries obtained a VF below 80% and only nine showed consistently high VF and QS scores. The most frequent weaknesses in the information systems were inconsistency of denominators used to estimate coverage, poor availability of guidelines (e.g. for late reporting), incorrect estimations of vaccine wastage and lack of feedback on immunization performance. In all six countries that failed a first DQA and undertook a second DQA, the VF and all QSs improved, not all of them statistically significantly. The DQA is a diagnostic tool to reveal a number of crucial problems that affect the quality of immunization data in all tiers of the health system. It identifies good performance at HU and district levels which can be used as examples of best practices. The DQA methodology brings data quality issues to the top of the agenda to improve the monitoring of immunization coverage.Tropical Medicine & International Health 02/2009; 14(1):2-10. · 2.80 Impact Factor -
Article: Surveillance of mother-to-child transmission prevention programmes at immunization clinics: the case for universal screening.
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ABSTRACT: Surveillance programmes for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) fail to quantify numbers of infant HIV infections averted, often because of poor postnatal follow-up. Additionally, infected infants are often not identified early and only gain access to comprehensive HIV care and treatment late in their disease. Anonymous, unlinked, HIV prevalence testing was conducted on dried blood spot (DBS) samples from all infants attending 6 week immunization clinics at seven primary health care clinics offering PMTCT. Samples were tested for HIV antibodies (indicating maternal HIV infection) and those determined to be from HIV-exposed infants were tested for HIV RNA by polymerase chain reaction. Infant and child mortality rates were determined using birth histories. Samples were collected from 2489 infants aged 4-8 weeks. HIV antibodies were identified in 931 infants [37.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 35.4-39.4], of whom 188 were HIV RNA positive. The estimated vertical transmission rate (VTR) was 20.2% (95% CI, 17.8-23.1%); 7.5% of all infants at this age were infected. Amongst mothers who reported that they had taken single-dose nevirapine for PMTCT, VTR was 15.0%. Amongst women who reported being HIV uninfected but whose infants had HIV antibodies, VTR was 30.5%. Infant mortality rates in KwaZulu Natal increased from 28/1000 live births in 1990-1994 to 92/1000 in 2000-2004. Anonymous HIV prevalence screening of all infants at immunization clinics is feasible to monitor the impact of PMTCT programmes on peripartum infection; linked screening could identify infected children early for referral into care and treatment programmes.AIDS 07/2007; 21(10):1341-7. · 6.24 Impact Factor
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Keywords
20 delivery wards
58 antenatal clinics
data audits
data collection
data completeness
data elements
data improvement intervention
District Health Information System
health facility registers
health information personnel
health-care facilities
human immunodeficiency virus
information system
monthly data reviews
practical data improvement intervention
programme managers
provided PMTCT services
source data
South Africa
true value
