High quality data are needed for decision-making at all levels of the public health system, from guiding public health activities at the local level, to informing national policy development, to ...monitoring the impact of global initiatives. Although a number of approaches have been developed to evaluate the underlying quality of routinely collected vaccination administrative data, there remains a lack of consensus around how data quality is best defined or measured.
We present a definitional framework that is intended to disentangle many of the elements that have confused discussions of vaccination data quality to date. The framework describes immunization data in terms of three key characteristics: data quality, data usability, and data utilization. The framework also offers concrete suggestions for a specific set of indicators that could be used to better understand immunization those key characteristics, including Trueness, Concurrence, Relevancy, Efficiency, Completeness, Timeliness, Integrity, Consistency, and Utilization.
Being deliberate about the choice of indicators; being clear on their definitions, limitations, and methods of measurement; and describing how those indicators work together to give a more comprehensive and practical understanding of immunization data quality, usability, and use, should yield more informed, and therefore better, programmatic decision-making.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In Uganda, vaccine dose administration data are often not available or are of insufficient quality to optimally plan, monitor, and evaluate program performance. A collaboration of partners aimed to ...address these key issues by deploying data improvement teams (DITs) to improve data collection, management, analysis, and use in district health offices and health facilities. During November 2014-September 2016, DITs visited all districts and 89% of health facilities in Uganda. DITs identified gaps in awareness and processes, assessed accuracy of data, and provided on-the-job training to strengthen systems and improve healthcare workers' knowledge and skills in data quality. Inaccurate data were observed primarily at the health facility level. Improvements in data management and collection practices were observed, although routine follow-up and accountability will be needed to sustain change. The DIT strategy offers a useful approach to enhancing the quality of health data.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Although electronic health information systems (EHIS) with immunization components exist in Kenya, questions and concerns remain about their use and alignment with the Kenya Ministry of ...Health's (MOH) National Vaccine and Immunization Program (NVIP). This article reports on the findings of an assessment of select EHIS with immunization components in Kenya, specifically related to system design, development, and implementation.
We conducted a rapid assessment of select EHIS with immunization components in Kenya from January to May 2017 to understand the design, development, implementation of the EHIS including the lessons learned from their use. We also assessed how the data elements in the EHIS compared to the data elements in the Maternal and Child Health Booklet used in the existing paper based system in Kenya.
The EHIS reviewed varied in purpose, content, and population covered. Only one system was built to focus specifically on immunization data. Substantial differences in system functionality and immunization-related data elements included in the EHIS were identified. None of the EHIS had all the data elements necessary to fully replace or operate independently from the standardized paper-based system for recording immunization data in Kenya.
Overall, the findings of this assessment highlighted substantial variation in the EHIS with immunization components. The findings provide insights and lessons learned for the Kenya MOH NVIP, immunization partners, vendors of EHIS, and users of EHIS to consider as Kenya transitions from paper-based to electronic immunization information systems.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Monitoring local malaria transmission intensity is essential for planning evidence-based control strategies and evaluating their impact over time. Anti-malarial antibodies provide information on ...cumulative exposure and have proven useful, in areas where transmission has dropped to low sustained levels, for retrospectively reconstructing the timing and magnitude of transmission reduction. It is unclear whether serological markers are also informative in high transmission settings, where interventions may reduce transmission, but to a level where considerable exposure continues.
This study was conducted through ongoing KEMRI and CDC collaboration. Asembo, in Western Kenya, is an area where intense malaria transmission was drastically reduced during a 1997-1999 community-randomized, controlled insecticide-treated net (ITN) trial. Two approaches were taken to reconstruct malaria transmission history during the period from 1994 to 2009. First, point measurements were calculated for seroprevalence, mean antibody titre, and seroconversion rate (SCR) against three Plasmodium falciparum antigens (AMA-1, MSP-119, and CSP) at five time points for comparison against traditional malaria indices (parasite prevalence and entomological inoculation rate). Second, within individual post-ITN years, age-stratified seroprevalence data were analysed retrospectively for an abrupt drop in SCR by fitting alternative reversible catalytic conversion models that allowed for change in SCR.
Generally, point measurements of seroprevalence, antibody titres and SCR produced consistent patterns indicating that a gradual but substantial drop in malaria transmission (46-70%) occurred from 1994 to 2007, followed by a marginal increase beginning in 2008 or 2009. In particular, proportionate changes in seroprevalence and SCR point estimates (relative to 1994 baseline values) for AMA-1 and CSP, but not MSP-119, correlated closely with trends in parasite prevalence throughout the entire 15-year study period. However, retrospective analyses using datasets from 2007, 2008 and 2009 failed to detect any abrupt drop in transmission coinciding with the timing of the 1997-1999 ITN trial.
In this highly endemic area, serological markers were useful for generating accurate point estimates of malaria transmission intensity, but not for retrospective analysis of historical changes. Further investigation, including exploration of different malaria antigens and/or alternative models of population seroconversion, may yield serological tools that are more informative in high transmission settings.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) may assist in diagnosis, improve prescribing practices and reduce potential drug resistance development. Without understanding operational issues or acceptance ...and usage by providers and patients, the costs of these tests may not be justified.
To evaluate the impact of RDTs on prescribing behaviours, assess prescribers' and patients' perceptions, and identify operational issues during implementation.
Baseline data were collected at six Tanzanian public dispensaries. RDTs were implemented for eight weeks and data collected on frequency of RDT use, results, malaria diagnoses and the prescription of antimalarials. Patients referred for RDTs completed a standardised exit interview. Qualitative methods assessed attitudes toward and satisfaction with RDTs, perceptions about the test and operational issues related to implementation.
Of 595 patients at baseline, 200 (33%) were diagnosed clinically with malaria but had a negative RDT. Among the 2519 RDTs performed during implementation, 289 (11.5%) had a negative result and antimalarials prescribed. The proportion of "over-prescriptions" at baseline was 54.8% (198/365). At weeks four and eight this decreased to 16.1% (27/168) and 16.4% (42/256) respectively.A total of 355 patient or parent/caregiver and 21 prescriber individual interviews and 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Patients, caregivers and providers trusted RDT results, agreed that use of RDTs was feasible at dispensary level, and perceived that RDTs improved clinical diagnosis. Negative concerns included community suspicion and fear that RDTs were HIV tests, the need for additional supervision in interpreting the results, and increased work loads without added compensation.
Overprescriptions decreased over the study period. There was a high degree of patient/caregiver and provider acceptance of and satisfaction with RDTs. Implementation should include community education, sufficient levels of training and supervision and consideration of the need for additional staff.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
On November 23, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson announced plans for a 5-year smallpox eradication and measles control program in West Africa that enabled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...(CDC) to establish a Smallpox Eradication Program in January 1966. Since then, CDC's global immunization endeavors have encompassed global smallpox eradication, the establishment and growth of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to strengthen national immunization programs, global efforts to eradicate polio and eliminate measles and rubella, and vaccine introduction into national immunization schedules beyond the original 6 EPI vaccines. CDC has provided scientific leadership, evidence-based guidance, and programmatic strategies to build public health infrastructure around the world, needed to achieve and measure the impact of these global immunization initiatives. This article marks the 50th anniversary of CDC's global immunization leadership, highlights key historical events, and provides an overview of CDC's future directions.
The development of resistance to drugs poses one of the greatest threats to malaria control. In Africa, the efficacy of readily affordable antimalarial drugs is declining rapidly, while highly ...efficacious drugs tend to be too expensive. Cost-effective strategies are needed to extend the useful life spans of antimalarial drugs. Observations in South-East Asia on combination therapy with artemisinin derivatives and mefloquine indicate that the development of resistance to both components is slowed down. This suggests the possibility of a solution to the problem of drug resistance in Africa, where, however, there are major obstacles in the way of deploying combination therapy effectively. The rates of transmission are relatively high, a large proportion of asymptomatic infection occurs in semi-immune persons, the use of drugs is frequently inappropriate and ill-informed, there is a general lack of laboratory diagnoses, and public health systems in sub-Saharan Africa are generally weak. Furthermore, the cost of combination therapy is comparatively high. We review combination therapy as used in South-East Asia and outline the problems that have to be overcome in order to adopt it successfully in sub-Saharan Africa.
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