Previous Community Health Workers used paper based on providing health services by linking household members with danger signs to health facilities. and linked those with minor illness to the ADDO shops.
Upon the introduction of Afya-Tek, the project provides community health workers with digital tools (Smartphone) that enhance the registration of household members, unique patient tracking, screening knowledge, automatic follow up of referred clients, decision making support regarding the condition of the clients. The digital system enables CHW to automatically send reports of daily registration activities to the dashboard, making use of this digital devices that automatically allow the registration of households and household members from his or her catchment area and submit reports without internet connection( Areas with poor network coverage especially remote areas that experience network problem) and later the user required synchronization of the data upon availability of network. CHW application provides the electronic file for entering household members information based on their focus group
CHW registering a household member in Kilangalanga Ward of Kibaha District
Registration Status in Kibaha District
The registration process is conducted using a digitized based system where community health workers record household members through the Afya Tek System. The CHW application system recorded and uploaded the list of registered clients to a central server (Dashboard) accessed by the Community Health Management Team (CHMT), Apotheker Team and D – Tree Team to track Community Health Workers progress and registration performance. The data extracted from the dashboard shows that the total number of 240 Community Health Workers in Kibaha District managed to register 216,500 household members and 65,000 households. The pie chart below shows the CHW registration performance since the implementation of the Afya Tek project in Kibaha District.
Household members registered per focus group
Visits Conducted by the CHW to Registered Clients and Digitized Referral System
After the registration process, Community Health Worker were required to conduct the structured timely digitized visits to focus groups (Antenatal Care, Postnatal care, Children Under 5 and Adolescents). The health information collected during the visits is entered on the Community Health Worker Application and keeps track of every focus group health condition (On whether the clients have the minor illness or danger signs). The Community Health Worker application system allows them to properly screen for danger signs and minor illnesses and therefore identifies those who need to be referred to health facilities for management of their respective identified condition, thus eliminating the risk that accompanies the delay in seeking health care. The CHW application has the danger signs for pregnant women (ANC), Women who have recently delivered (PNC), Children under 5 and signs needing referral for adolescents.
CHW from Mkuza Ward screening for danger signs to an under 5 client at household level
Digitized Referral to Health Facilities:
Whenever Community Health Workers encounter clients with danger signs in the community, they refer them through the Afya Tek Application to health facilities that are in close proximity (Advised to visit the health facilities within the ward or nearby ward). Since the implementation of Afya Tek project, there are 20,500 (9812referrals in Kibaha District Council and 10,700 referrals in Kibaha Town Council) referrals created by Community Health Workers to the Health Facilities)