Applying the iDARE Methodology in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to Improve Health Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: We introduce the iDARE methodology and present the results of iDARE implementation in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. IDARE METHODOLOGY: iDARE drives locally led solutions that address barriers to achieving improved health outcomes. WI-HER supported the governments of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, to design and implement solutions to improve (1) HIV health outcomes, (2) gender-based violence identification and response, and (3) mass drug administration coverage, respectively. RESULTS: In Uganda, the iDARE team at Nagongera Health Center IV increased viral load suppression (VLS) among actively enrolled men in care from 65% to 95% and increased VLS among actively enrolled children in care from 60% to 96% in 12 months. In 11 months, the Mulanda Health Center IV iDARE team increased VLS among actively enrolled men in care from 85% to 93% and actively enrolled children in care from 73% to 96%. In Kenya, 8 facility iDARE teams improved identification, management, and response for gender-based violence survivors by a monthly average of 642% in 10 months. Additionally, the identification, management, and response for male survivors of gender-based violence increased from an average of 8 to 188 men per month and from an average of 81 to 364 women per month. In Tanzania, the government applied iDARE to improve mass drug administration (MDA) access and uptake among school-age children. Eighteen percent of the children (equal male and female) had missed or refused treatment during school-based MDA. After 1 month of application of iDARE, the 4 schools achieved 99% MDA uptake among registered children (enrolled and nonenrolled). DISCUSSION: Due to the various lockdowns, restrictions, and safety implications during the COVID-19 pandemic, iDARE was used to rapidly adjust from planned in-person to sometimes virtual engagements. Despite these challenges, iDARE demonstrated improvements in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Reducing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Using Quality Improvement Approaches.

Over half of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) occurs postdelivery. Keeping mother-infant pairs in care remains challenging. Health workers in 3 countries used quality improvement (QI) approaches to improve data systems, mother-infant retention, and facility-based care delivery. The number and proportion of infants with known HIV status at time of discharge from early infant diagnosis programs increased in Tanzania and Uganda. We analyzed data using statistical process control charts. Mother-to-child HIV transmission did not decrease in 15 Kenyan sites, decreased from 12.7% to 3.8% in 28 Tanzanian sites, and decreased from 17.2% to 1.5% in 10 Ugandan sites with baseline data. This improvement is likely due to the combination of option B+, service delivery improvements, and retention through QI approaches. Reaching the global MTCT elimination target and maximizing infant survival will require health systems to support mother-infant pairs to remain in care and support health workers to deliver care. Quality improvement approaches can support these changes.

Engagement of National Stakeholders and Communities on Health-Care Quality Improvement: Experience from the Implementation of the Partnership for HIV-Free Survival in Tanzania.

The Partnership for HIV-Free Survival initiative in Tanzania integrated postnatal nutrition and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) cascades to reduce vertical HIV transmission. Quality improvement (QI) was implemented in 30 health facilities. Net positive gain resulted in overall improvement in all indicators (above 80%) by the end of the reporting period. Retention in postnatal care (mean = 49.8, standard deviation [SD] = 27.6) and in monthly HIV services (mean = 65.4, SD = 29.5) had the lowest average but showed consecutive and significant (P ≤ .001) gains except for significant decreases in 1 of 6 periods assessed. Average antiretroviral therapy uptake among women (mean = 81.7, SD = 29.5) was highest, with an initial positive gain of 78.9% (P ≤ .001). DNA/polymerase chain reaction for HIV-exposed infants (mean = 71.8, SD = 20.9) and nutrition counseling (mean = 71.2, SD = 26.3) showed similar average performance, with the latter being the only indicator with significant equal periods of gain and decreases. The collaborative QI approach improved process indicators for reducing MTCT in resource-constrained health systems.

Applying Quality Improvement Approaches to Reduce Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission and Improve Health and Nutrition Care in Five Countries: Lessons from the Partnership for HIV-Free Survival.

The World Health Organization guidelines for treating pregnant HIV-positive women and preventing HIV transmission to infants now recommend lifelong antiretroviral treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women. We applied quality improvement (QI) methods to support governments and facility staff to address service gaps in 5 countries under the Partnership for HIV-Free Survival (PHFS). We used 3 key strategies: break the complex problem of improving HIV-free survival into more easily implementable phases, support a national management team to oversee the project, and support facility-level staff to learn and apply QI methods to reducing mother-to-child transmission. The key results in each country were increases in data completeness and accuracy, increases in retention in care of mother-baby pairs (MBPs), increase in coverage of MBPs with appropriate services, and reduction in vertical transmission of HIV. The PHFS experience offers a model that other multicountry networks can adopt to improve service delivery and quality of care.