Community mapping efforts in southwestern Tanzania are helping stakeholders in the fight against HIV
Frontline HIV workers and PEPFAR partners are using citizen-generated maps and affordable data collection tools to increase referrals to health facilities and improve data quality
This blog post was published as part of the Data Zetu project. Data Zetu is now an initiative of the Tanzania dLab, a local NGO that promotes innovation and data literacy through a premier center of excellence. For more information about the dLab, visit www.dlab.or.tz. For more information about the Data Zetu project, visit www.irex.org.
This post highlights the results of community mapping efforts. Read more about those efforts here »
Meet KIHUMBE
KIHUMBE is a non-profit organization working in Mbeya region, which hosts some of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Tanzania. Their aim is to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS by offering care and support to affected populations and vulnerable communities. KIHUMBE also works closely with other HIV partners to alter community behavior and attitudes towards HIV and increase awareness and education around the disease.
In May, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), a Data Zetu partner, shared community-mapped data with dozens of organizations including KIHUMBE. Read on to find out how KIHUMBE has since continued to use these data collection methods and tools in their everyday work.
Using a mobile data collection tool
HOT introduced Open Data Kit (ODK) — a free mobile data collection tool that works in offline settings —to KIHUMBE, who are now using the same tool to ODK to collect information in their everyday operations:
“ODK acts as our database now. Initially we were collecting information using papers, and that led to loss of data in the process and a delayed analysis. We would normally monitor data after two weeks or a month, but now we can do it on daily basis.”
— Jeremiah Henry, monitoring and evaluation officer for KIHUMBE
Now, it is easy for KIHUMBE to know how many people they have reached per day basing on the survey numbers that are collected and uploaded daily.
Using ODK is just the first step in KIHUMBE’s roadmap to improve its use of data. Jeremiah adds:
“We need more training to support us on analysis, and household population mapping to have a base map which will help us to calculate the magnitude of the problem, capacity building among ourselves and in turn bring more impact to the community.”
Still, KIHUMBE has already seen meaningful, measurable gains as a result of their improved data collection and digitization efforts. Today, 80% of reports coming from community volunteers have no data discrepancies. Their most recent quarterly report— which are often delayed for up to a week due to back-and-forth to fix data discrepancies — had zero data discrepancies for the first time.
In fact, KIHUMBE’s leadership in their use of data has been recognized by the broader community. Through a PEPFAR-funded military HIV research program, Jeremiah has been selected to provide data training to other CSOs and NGOS like KIHUMBE across the southwestern Tanzania. His objective is “to train other community-based HIV/AIDS service providers to maintain the same quality of data” as KIHUMBE has managed with their improved data collection strategies. This is powerful example of the diffusive power of improved data use.
Using citizen-generated maps to improve their work
Using ODK is not the only example of better data use and production. KIHUMBE is also using community-mapped data to:
- Connect sex workers to nearby support networks: As a result of visiting the 16 hotspots uncovered in Iyela ward during the data collection process, Jeremiah stated that, “using this map, we were able to identify 15 female sex workers” who were then connected to peer educators located in those areas.
- Increase referrals to health facilities: Jeremiah explains, “using these maps has increased the rate of referrals”, since “community providers are able to view [nearby] health facilities” and link clients to them. They use health facility maps to do this. They have linked 25 clients this way so far.
- Give voice to citizens to expose service gaps: The mapping efforts exposed medical shortages by those seeking sexual reproductive health (SRH) support. 25% noted medicine shortages and a sixth reported a lack of medical staff at facilities. The distance to reach HIV testing centres was alarmingly high and was found to be a barrier to most residents.
- Inform budgets: Jeremia explained that KIHUMBE will share the maps “with LGAs [local government areas] and see how they can include services in their budgets… as [the maps] will indicate the target population [locations]”.
What is the next step for HOT and Data Zetu?
HOT and Data Zetu are in the process of formalizing a short-term action plan together with KIHUMBE, to continue supporting their fight against HIV/AIDS through better use of data. HOT has also conducted site visits to organizations like KIHUMBE and medical facilities like major referral hospitals to better understand the registration processes and patient intake at these facilities.
Over the coming months, HOT will provide targeted support to KIHUMBE and others to improve the collection, use, and digitization of location information to amplify their efforts. Stay tuned to this blog to follow updates!
