Utility of SMS based reporting for supply chain management and fast tracking PMTCT intervention- A pilot study in West Bengal

S. Ganguly; D. Chakraborty

Volume : X, Issue : IV, April - 2020

Utility of SMS based reporting for supply chain management and fast tracking PMTCT intervention- A pilot study in West Bengal

S. Ganguly, D. Chakraborty

Abstract :

Background: Under National AIDS Control Program, commodities are procured centrally and supplied to states for further distribution. Facility–level monitoring of commodities and timely replenishment are real challenges to states. For facilitating linkage of all HIV–positive–pregnant women to treatment, real–time information of positive–pregnant women detection is important. Methods: A mobile–sms–based reporting system on stock–management and linkage–mechanism was developed by West Bengal. Mobile–numbers of facility–level focal persons were linked to the system for sending weekly stock–report in single sms syntax. Similarly the details of HIV–positive–pregnant women were sent in specified syntax. Web based monitoring of stock and linkage could be conducted by SACS. Results: The number of facilities reporting stock–out decreased from 10–2% and linkage of HIV–positive–pregnant women to treatment increased from 80–95%, after this implementation. Conclusions: Being offline–reporting, it is easy to implement everywhere. This system is easily replicable model and is cost–effective.