Background Information
The Health Information Systems team works to improve health services by focusing on three different aspects. The first area is Coordination and Collaboration, where activities include finalizing indicator calculations, disease surveillance coordination, strengthening HIS strategies, research such as project evaluation surveys, and conferences.
The second area is Monitoring and Evaluation, where the team collects surveillance data from clinics, provides performance feedback, and conducts quarterly M&E visits.
Lastly, the HIS team works on Quality Improvement by collecting logbooks from clinics, coordinating with the field HIS teams to check the quality of healthcare services, and providing feedback and CME to clinics. The EHOs and CBOs also created the Health Information System Working Group, which aims to collect key data from partners, conduct analysis and publish reports. The Community Ethics Advisory Board (CEAB) and Ethnic Research Development Institute (ERDI) to promote research in the community.
Since 2020, HISWG planned to establish HIS units and develop health information delivery skills in the field setting. The COVID-19 pandemic caused issues with compiling clinic health information, and IT literacy levels were low in the field.
Key HIS Activities
HIS units were set up at the field level and were provided with one HIS staff, one laptop, a solar unit and training. A meeting was held with partner organizations, discussing how research capacity can be strengthened amongst partners, and methods to increase awareness for international donors on the health status of ethnic minorities.
The Eastern Burma Retrospective and Mortality Survey was presented in a final report summarizing the findings on field data that had been collected every four years since 2009.
Primary Health Care Service Provision
In 2021, a total of 12397 patients received primary health care services at BMA covered clinics, which is 18% of the total population in those regions. Of these patients, 2572 were under the age of 5, which is about 36% of the population of children in that age group.
In 2022, a total of 11230 patients received primary health care services at BMA covered clinics, which is 17% of the total population in those regions. Of these patients, 2496 were under the age of 5, which is about 35% of the population of children in that age group.
Malaria and TB Caseloads
2021
14482 people were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs)
Of those cases, 14 cases of PF malaria (treated with recommended ACT and primaquine) and 580 cases of PV malaria (treated with chloroquine and primaquine) were diagnosed
33 presumptive TB cases were referred to local hospitals for clinical diagnosis or bacteriological confirmation. 6 total TB cases were identified through these referrals.
2022
21,482 people were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) of the ATH project. 2,639 confirmed malaria from all clinics of BMA with malaria from all clinics of BMA with 48 cases of PF (treated with recommended ACT & primaquine) and 2,591 cases of PV (treated with chloroquine & primaquine) were diagnosed with 6 mixed cases.
20 presumptive TB cases were referred to local hospitals for clinical diagnosis or bacteriological confirmation 10 total TB cases were identified through these referrals.
Top 10 Causes of Morbidity in 2021 and 2022
In both 2021 and 2022, URTIs were the leading number of cases in clinics. These high rates may have been due to decreased levels of COVID-19 testing, so patients presenting with symptoms were considered to have URTI/LRTI instead of COVID-19. Positive malaria cases more than doubled in 2022 compared to2021, becoming the second most common cases.
Quality Improvement
The QI assessment activities conducted by the HIS in 2021 to 2022 at 16 clinics were done both virtually and in-person. The analyzed areas included infrastructure, human resources, infection prevention and control, medical emergency management, general exams, maternal and reproductive health. child health, and pharmacies.
QI in these areas was assessed using health worker interviews, client exit interviews, and logbook reviews.
HIS Capacity Building Projects
BMA collaborated with The Border Consortium to promote community-driven responses to COVID-19 in South-Eastern Burma. This project aimed to strengthen the capacities of ethnic health systems to prevent and mitigate the effects of COVID-19.
In September, BMA HIS team organized a COVID 19 Surveillance virtual workshop for 42 staffs (Male: 17 and Female: 25). In October, the BMA program team conducted the virtual COVID-19 management training for 3 days and 57 participants (Male: 16 and Female: 41) attended. Health workers trained on COVID-19 management guideline, diagnosis, testing procedure with RDTs, referral procedure, isolation and quarantine, infection prevention and control, chlorination and waste management.
Trained health workers provided health awareness of COVID 19 in both clinic and target community and also conducted the COVID RDT testing in the clinic and provided supported treatment for minor cases. Health workers also worked on the community screening check point area.
With support from TBC , BMA provided a full set COVID 19 medicine and medical supplies to 6 VTHCs, as well as IEC poster and pamphlets for 16VTHCs. Moreover, all 24 clinics were supplied with tables, chairs, cupboard, office commodities (extensions, USB and note books) and clinic cleaning equipment and disinfectant tools with shared financial support from donors.