In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ICAP at Columbia University is working to produce quality strategic information to guide health-based decisions at the national level by establishing standard operating procedures, supporting data analysis, and developing improved monitoring tools.
Among these tools is the , which measures the performance or progress of DRC’s HIV programs, providing granular insight into health facility data. The HIV dashboard lets decisionmakers monitor how well health interventions perform at a range of health sites, empowering them to develop innovative strategies that can overcome bottlenecks and improve outcomes.
The dashboard, which incorporates data compiled in monthly reports from the National AIDS Control Program, uses the software tool Power BI to visualize major indicators, including HIV testing, initiation of or current use of antiretroviral treatment (ART), ART regimens and multi-month drug dispensation, viral load suppression, HIV/TB co-infection, prevention of vertical transmission, and beyond. The dashboard allows users to filter information for parameters such as patient age and location to detect patterns over time.
“The HIV dashboard is part of efforts to improve data quality and makes it easy to perform analyses in order to make evidence-based decisions,” said Eric Katanga Nyambu, a data architect at the National Health Information System Directorate. “ICAP’s strategic information support came at a time when several reports, including the National Health Development Plan, raised the issue of data quality.”
In addition to the dashboard, ICAP is supporting the development of a tool designed specifically for HIV data quality monitoring. In November 2023, ICAP organized a data reconciliation and cleaning procedure at 648 sites in 59 health zones with integrated HIV activities in the provinces of Kinshasa, Haut Katanga, and Lualaba. The analysis revealed a large proportion of patients with unknown HIV status, or who were lost to follow-up, deceased, or transferred, a sign of lack of control over active patient files.
To address this problem, ICAP developed a monitoring tool to assess data quality, including verification of source documents, verification of active status of patients on ART, and data auditing to make stronger action plans for patients.
For any given site, this tool will make it possible to evaluate data collection and reporting systems, improve data quality control, and support the implementation of a data quality improvement plan.
“The development of this data monitoring tool will substantially improve the completeness of data collection and reporting tools, the internal consistency of data, the monitoring of patients on treatment at the level of care sites, and the quality of data produced by the DRC health care system in general,” said Stephania Koblavi, PharmD, PhD, country director of ICAP in DRC.
About ICAP
A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 40 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges. Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programs, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies. Online at icap.columbia.edu
