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Transitioning OpenELIS Training and Implementation to Local Professionals in Côte d’Ivoire

Post categories: Cote d'Ivoire DIGI Jan Flowers Laboratory Systems Leadership & Management
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For nearly a decade I-TECH has worked in Côte d’Ivoire in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and implement an electronic laboratory information system (LIS) in key laboratories. In order to respond to evolving data needs and ensure timely access to quality laboratory data, an electronic LIS requires ongoing development and continuous user training and technical support.

Previously, from 2015-2017 I-TECH worked closely with the Ivorian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (MSHP)’s Directorate of Informatics and Sanitary Information (DIIS) to identify, develop and reinforce the capacity of local professionals to lead and conduct LIS training, deployment, and maintenance activities in anticipation of national roll-out of the LIS at 96 general hospital laboratories. As part of this effort, and in collaboration with the DIIS, I-TECH trained users and deployed LIS at 13 national and regional level laboratories. Between 2013 and 2015, the total number of local professionals competent in LIS deployment increased to 24 local LIS support providers, while the number of in-country LIS trainers increased to 27. Within ten months, local IT providers and trainers trained over 75 health care workers to use an LIS and implemented an LIS at 36 laboratories. During supervision visits to 26 laboratories, within 4 to 6 months post-installation, 25 out of 26 (96%) of laboratories were actively using the LIS.

More recently, Côte d’Ivoire International Training and Education for Health (I-TECH CIV), I-TECH’s local partner in Côte d’Ivoire, has started working directly with CDC and DIIS and continued to engage I-TECH computer developers and deployment strategists to continue the progress with LIS.

I-TECH continues to make considerable progress with code base development for OpenELIS. For more information, visit the OpenELIS Global website.

Technical Support to the National HIV Response in Malawi

Post categories: Clinical Mentoring Gabrielle O'Malley Health Information Systems HIV Care and Treatment Human Resources for Health Integrating Research and Practice Malawi Tuberculosis
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I-TECH seconded staff work in collaboration with government officers and program managers, and bring technical expertise to efforts to strengthen health systems. Continue reading “Technical Support to the National HIV Response in Malawi”

Mozambique Partnerships

Post categories: Mozambique
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In Mozambique, I-TECH works closely with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC GAP) and the Mozambican Ministry of Health (MISAU) as well as Centro de Colaboração em Saúde (CCS).  I-TECH has also worked with a number of partner organizations in Mozambique, including: Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and its affiliate, the Fundação Ariel Glaser, Health Alliance International (HAI), Columbia University (ICAP), FHI 360), HIVQUAL/HEALTHQUAL, and Population Services International (PSI).

Malawi Partnerships

Post categories: Malawi
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Together, I-TECH Malawi, the Malawi Ministry of Health, and partners work continuously to address the country’s health priorities, including curbing the HIV epidemic towards an AIDS free generation through the efficient scale up of HIV resources and services. Through close collaboration, they endeavor to build a highly capable and organized health care workforce and make quality care available to a greater number of Malawians.

Kenya Partnerships

Post categories: Kenya
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I-TECH Kenya has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES), a collaboration between the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI); and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); the Ministry of Health; the National AIDS/STD Control Programme (NASCOP) and its Division of Health Informatics, Monitoring and Evaluation; and the Regional AIDS Training Network (RATN); National Public Health Laboratory Services (NPHLS); Palladium; PATH; Better Immunization Data Initiative Learning Network.

Haiti Partnerships

Post categories: Haiti
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I-TECH is funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and therefore works in close collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control Global AIDS Program, United States Agency for International Development, the Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, the Unité de Gestion de Projet (UGP/MSPP/ PEPFAR), Ministère des Affaires Sociales et du Travail, the Hôpital de l’Université d’Etat d’Haïti, Faculté de medicine et de pharmacie, Faculté d’odontologie, Université Notre Dame d’Haïti, the Écoles Nationales des Infirmières, and Faculté des Sciences Humaines. I-TECH also collaborates with a variety of local and international organizations including: Centre Haïtien pour le Renforcement du Système de Santé (CHARESS),  Centres GHESKIO, Partners in Health/Zamni Lasante (PIH/ZL), Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), Jhpiego, Cornell University, Institut Haïtien de Santé Communautaire (INHSAC), the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), and Solutions, SA.

Ukraine Partnerships

Post categories: Ukraine
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I-TECH began working in Ukraine in 2011 at the invitation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. Today, I-TECH’s key partners in Ukraine include the Public Health Center (PHC) of the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Family Medicine Training Center (UCFM) of the Bogomolets National Medical University (NMU) as well as 107 high- and low-volume regional ART sites, based at various healthcare facilities in twelve regions of Ukraine most affected by the HIV epidemic.

Global Health Security Agenda in Kenya

Post categories: eLearning/Distance Learning Global Health Security Health Information Systems Human Resources for Health John Lynch Kenya Laboratory Systems Peter Rabinowitz Surveillance
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I-TECH Kenya’s Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)-funded programs aim to advance the GHSA goals of preventing , detecting, and responding to disease threats to health security.

For the past 8 years, I-TECH Kenya has had a cooperative agreement with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to work closely with the Kenya Ministry of Health (MOH) on multiple projects related to health security. The key objectives of these activities are preventing and reducing the likelihood of disease outbreaks, improving the efficiency and accuracy of the detection of communicable diseases, strengthening surveillance capacity and national and county levels for a rapid and effective response, enhancing Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices to prevent the emergence and spread of pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

Prevention

Use IPC practices to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other microbial threats:

  • Building capacity for IPC in health care facilities is a critical part of disease outbreak and AMR preparedness and prevention. In Kenya, I-TECH has partners with the CDC National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease and Kenya MOH to support two model hospitals in developing capacity for quality improvement measures for strengthening evidence-based IPC practices, infrastructure, and tools including hand hygiene, waste management, injection safety, surgical site infections, and antimicrobial stewardship. As part of this IPC work, I-TECH created and piloted e-learning modules for IPC. The modules aim to build clinical skills and technical knowledge in infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship among health care workers in low-resource settings, and have now been adopted by WHO.
  • With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I-TECH Kenya was able to play a leadership role in the country in assessing and improving facility readiness at the national and local level to handle COVID-19 cases and maintain the health care workforce.
  • Current IPC activity is focused on surveillance for surgical site infections, an important cause of hospital acquired infections (HAIs).

Disease Prevention through Immunization Program Strengthening:

  • I-TECH collaborated with the Kenya MOH, CDC Global Health Protection Division, and the CDC Global Immunization Division, to build and roll out an online mobile platform for capturing immunization data at the point of care.

Detection

Laboratory Information Systems Strengthening:

  • In Kenya, I-TECH collaborated with the MOH and National Public Health Laboratory Services to enhance and strengthen laboratory information systems at the facility and national levels to improve timeliness and efficiency of testing and reporting results, specifically for AMR testing.

Response

Disease Surveillance and Response:

  • I-TECH supports the Kenya MOH Surveillance Unit in the rollout of trainings for health care workers to routinely and consistently use the real-time surveillance reporting system in Kenya.

HIS Leadership and Governance in Kenya

Post categories: Ann Downer Health Information Systems Health Policy HIV and STI Prevention Kenya Laboratory Systems Leadership & Management Nancy Puttkammer
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As a key member of the Kenya electronic medical record (EMR) system technical working group, I-TECH works to implement and standardize the EMR systems used in the management of national HIV and AIDS care and treatment data. Similar efforts have focused on ensuring that different electronic systems can communicate with one another (interoperability) and that health care workers, administrators, and staff are well trained to use and maintain them.

Continue reading “HIS Leadership and Governance in Kenya”