Use of AEFI reporting and analysis tools
Extract from report of GACVS meeting of 12-13 June 2007, published in the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record on 11 August 2023
An update on the roll-out of Vigitools in Egypt, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, was provided. In all 4 countries, training was conducted with participants from national and regional/provincial levels. There are currently no immediate plans to expand into more countries but there will be a focus on consolidating current operations.
Lessons have been learned with the Vigitools’ roll-out in these 4 countries. The software architectural design, with its internal hierarchies, impacts the success of the programme by addressing issues with the interchangeability of existing reporting systems and user training. UMC plays a critical role in assisting countries with customizing the software. National and subnational trainings have been critical for reaching district levels and ensuring that national regulatory agencies and EPIs are aware of available tools. There is a new focus on AEFI data management and how best to review AEFI data at district and national levels to identify and respond to safety signals. Importantly, VigiFlow and VigiMobile are customizable to the local language, enhancing usability for field staff.
Users of VigiMobile in Zimbabwe have noted several advantages of the tool, including its adaptability to different devices, operating systems and browsers; its offline data entry functionality; and the improvement to data quality resulting from digital reporting. VigiMobile improves transparency with the AEFI reporting process able to be efficiently monitored and supervised. At the national level, there is full access to all data allowing information for action and uploading to VigiBase.
The US CDC and WHO have developed a toolkit to evaluate how the roll-out of Vigitools has impacted AEFI data and reporting, data management, and analysis. Baseline data were collected prior to the roll-out of Vigitools and post roll-out data will be collected at 6 months. Thus far, Tanzania and Zimbabwe have participated in the evaluation. Part one of the evaluation included a quantitative desk review of the quantity, quality, timeliness, validity and completeness of data. Part 2 included key informant interviews with national and subnational stakeholders to gather information on AEFI data capture, reporting and analysis.
The DHIS2 AEFI module was developed in December 2020 and used in-country primarily for COVID-19 vaccine AEFIs. An evaluation was conducted in several countries including Ghana and Sierra Leone using mixed methods to assess the impact on the system, people and infrastructure, and on the data quality, use and processes.
From the DHIS2 evaluation, recommendations were made. Gaps identified for improvement included the alignment and integration between DHIS2 and other systems; comprehensive and routine capacity building to increase knowledge and awareness of the system; comprehensive implementation strategies; long-term plans for sustainability and ownership of the module/data; and strengthening of the in-country technical teams. Evaluations will continue in other countries and there will be engagement with global partners to improve the successful implementation of DHIS2.
GACVS emphasized the importance of interoperability of AEFI reporting tools and the sustainability of reporting mechanisms. More data on both evaluations will be available for future GACVS review.