Assessing antiretroviral inventory management data quality by adopting potential digital solutions. Case study of Art Clinics in Western Equatoria State, South Sudan

Abstract

Background, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) response in South Sudan has been to the country’s situation, which is indicated as recovering from devastating civil conflicts. The People Living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) who are on antiretroviral drugs, will need access to quality drugs to improve their health and prolong their lives, sustainable access to drugs depends on available inventory data quality. This research aims to examine the quality of inventory management data in antiretroviral treatment Clinics in the context of South Sudan with a particular focus on Western Equatoria health facilities. Methodology: This research study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design, it’s descriptive because it is looking at challenges faced by the inventory management process, the approach was a mixed-method, qualitative and quantitative. 20 antiretroviral therapy (ART) Clinics in Western Equatoria State were the target for this study. Findings: the demographic analysis was employed and most of the respondents were male which constituted 75% of response opinion, it was also observed that most of the interviewed were those with good experiences in providing services to people living with HIV 10 years of services delivery. To measure data quality six items were developed in table 4:11 and their grand mean showed that most of the respondents agree with the accuracy, completeness, consistency, relevancy, validity, and genuineness of consumption data at ART clinics in WES. And in search for factors that affect inventory management, infrastructures took the leading amongst the respondents as the essential challenge followed by the capacity of Human resources at public facilities and tools for managing data came among the challenges Conclusion: Conclusively, the findings traced out the satisfaction of data quality in Western Equatoria ART clinic according to respondents who had opportunities to participate in this finding. Based on the views of the majority, the Antiretroviral therapy units used to compile accurate, consistent, relevant, valid, and complete data of its inventory and clinical services. Recommendations: The ART clinic should employ competent and potential employees who have acquired sufficient knowledge and skills to rendered effective services to the patients in the clinic. And based on the information, The MOH lacks a national Logistics Management information system for collecting real-time data on the distribution and consumption of health commodities for timely decision-making to guide commodities management at the national and sub-national levels. The ongoing challenges resulted in the existence of fragmented logistics information systems being used to track the distribution of commodities at the national and sub-national levels by implementing partners. This study is recommending the Ministry of health and particularly the directorate of pharmaceutical services who is the custodian consumptions commodities data should go for the deployment of the DHIS2 Logistics module and engaged implementing partners to start using it.