As you can tell, it has been increasingly challenging for the HIM moderator to get information about health in Myanmar. I'll keep trying.

What do you think of this?

Jamie

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Roiled by Politics and the Pandemic, Myanmar’s National Drug Treatment Information System Gets a New Lease on Life with Support from ICAP
ICAP at Columbia University in New York
Apr 26, 2023

People who inject drugs are one of the major contributing factors to HIV transmission in Myanmar. The total number of people who inject drugs who receive methadone (opioid agonist therapy) in the country is far below the 40% level recommended by WHO and UNAIDS guidelines for effective HIV prevention.

One approach to increasing the coverage of methadone among this key segment of the population is through building the capacity of methadone-dispensing health care workers. With support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ICAP in Myanmar has provided technical support to the Ministry of Health’s Drug Treatment and Research Unit to establish a Drug Treatment Information System database designed to reduce clinic workloads and encourage more efficient management of resources.

In early 2021, however, the combined effects of COVID-19 and political turmoil in the country caused a suspension and collapse of the Drug Treatment Information System for nine months, making it impossible for technical partners to support the maintenance of the database. This issue had an impact on national progress reporting – particularly the monitoring of national progress around linkage to care for methadone patients with co-morbidities – and supply management.

In November 2021, ICAP mobilized technical assistance to support the Drug Treatment Information System core team in their efforts to re-establish and revitalize this critical tool. Thanks to this intensive effort, the Drug Treatment Information System resumed operations in 7 out of 11 previously established sites.

At the same time, ICAP technical support was extended to harm-reduction partner organizations through both virtual and in-person training, followed by continuous mentorship, resulting in an expansion to five new methadone distribution sites.

As of December 2022, ICAP conducted a total of 19 training sessions for 190 health care workers. Moreover, ICAP repaired mission-critical Drug Treatment Information System software and conducted software troubleshooting activities to restore non-functioning sites.

A total of 33 sites from the Drug Treatment and Research Unit and 18 sites from partner organizations were also trained as a preparation step for Drug Treatment Information System expansion and further roll-out.

To establish sustainable system strengthening, ICAP organized a training for trainers and conducted multiplier training. To increase user-friendliness, Drug Treatment Information System software updates were done in parallel, ensuring data quality and meeting new reporting requirements. A facility data analysis dashboard was also established to monitor clinics’ drug treatment program performance and track linkage to care for patients with co-morbidities. Through these efforts, ICAP technical support to Drug Treatment and Research Unit and partners has clearly helped build the enduring capabilities of health care workers and has led to a stronger national reporting system.

“For most of 2021, we were not able to use the Drug Treatment Information System,” said Khin Than, senior psychiatrist nurse, Lashio Methadone Clinic. “ With the support from ICAP, the Drug Treatment Information System was revitalized and is fully functioning now. We have learned how to use this database, and we receive remarkable remote troubleshooting support from ICAP.”

“The customized dashboard not only provides us with a standard report in one click but also enables us to conduct a deep-down analysis for the custom indicators. Thanks to ICAP, we learned about the different Drug Treatment Information System modules and the system’s embedded data quality measures,” said Zin Mar Oo, Data officer from Myanmar Anti-Narcotics Association (MANA). “Since I was trained as a trainer, I will be part of the training team and share my knowledge with staff from other methadone sites.”

About ICAP

A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for nearly two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 30 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges. Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programs, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies.

https://icap.columbia.edu/news-events/roiled-by-politics-and-the-pandemic-myanmars-national-drug-treatment-information-system-gets-a-new-lease-on-life-with-support-from-icap/