Strengthening routine data systems to track the HIV epidemic and guide the response in Sub-Saharan Africa

Brian Rice, Andrew Boulle, Stefan Baral, Matthias Egger, Paul Mee, Elizabeth Fearon, Georges Reniers, Jim Todd, Sandra Schwarcz, Sharon Weir, George Rutherford, James Hargreaves

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The global HIV response has entered a new phase with the recommendation of treating all persons living with HIV with antiretroviral therapy, and with the goals of reducing new infections and AIDS-related deaths to fewer than 500,000 by 2020. This new phase has intensive data requirements that will need to utilize routine data collected through service delivery platforms to monitor progress toward these goals. With a focus on sub-Saharan African, we present the following priorities to improve the demand, supply, and use of routine HIV data: (1) strengthening patient-level HIV data systems that support continuity of clinical care and document sentinel events; (2) leveraging data from HIV testing programs; (3) using targeting data collection in communities and among clients; and (4) building capacity and promoting a culture of HIV data quality assessment and use. When fully leveraged, routine data can efficiently provide timely information at a local level to inform action, as well as provide information at scale with wide geographic coverage to strengthen estimation efforts.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere36
JournalJMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Volume4
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2018

Keywords

  • Cascade
  • Clinical
  • Data
  • HIV
  • Monitoring
  • Prevention
  • Program
  • Quality assessment
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Surveillance
  • Systems
  • Testing
  • Treatment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health Informatics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Strengthening routine data systems to track the HIV epidemic and guide the response in Sub-Saharan Africa'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this