Tracking Of Malaria Indicators Reporting System And Data Usage On Malaria Management In Ayawaso District

ABSTRACT 

Background: Malaria is ranked the fourth highest cause of death in children; accounting for 10% of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Global estimates peg 214 million cases of malaria, 88% of which occur in the WHO African Region. Incidence rates in sub-Saharan African is 246/ 1000 at risk. Global death rates are estimated at 19/ 100 000 at risk and majority (90%) of deaths in 2015 were in the WHO Africa Region. This burden has led to a massive international effort to increase prevention and treatment measures with main interventions as: vector control; chemoprevention and case management. To monitor program success and evaluate the impact of efforts made by different stakeholders, data generation and reporting key factors is paramount. However, documentation about the influence indicator reports have on health systems structures for malaria control practices is still unclear.

Objective: This study tracked the malaria indicators reporting system and data-use influence on malaria management in the Ayawaso sub-metro, specifically describing the system for malaria data collection, management and reporting system from health facility to the district level. It further assessed the data-use on malaria and disease management at the various levels of the health care system.

Methods: This study used exploratory mixed methods: The qualitative methods described the malaria indicators reporting system and helped to develop the basis of quantitative methods. The quantitative methods described the appearance of malaria indicators reporting situation in the Ayawaso district. Statistical data about reporting rates and malaria indicators from different sources were used to answer the study question. In depth interviews were also conducted with key informants. Record reviews of secondary data of facilities reports from 2012 to 2016 were also conducted

Results: The study showed the use of data by different stakeholders and confirmed to have influence on disease management in Ayawaso district. It showed as well improvements in coverage %, completeness % and timeliness % of reports from facilities in the 5-year period from 2012 to 2016. Timeliness was encouraging and most remarkable in 2015 among 100% of health facilities for morbidity reports and 80% for haematological and ANC/maternity malaria reports timeliness of in-patient reports however were generally low percentages. The poor reporting coverage was revealed in private health facilities and quasi-government institutions.

Conclusion: Malaria indicators data are particularly useful to various stakeholders at different levels of the Ghana Health Service and have influence on disease management. In the Ayawaso district, data are used by planners, services providers, clinicians and researchers. Coverage, completeness and timeliness over the 5-year period were excellent although certain challenges persist. 

Recommendation: Coordination and governance of the reporting system between public and private sectors. Extension of DHIMS to the facility level and provision of appropriate equipment should be addressed.