Funded by the Global Fund, the Somali National TB programme provides diagnostics, treatment, and referral services through 95 TB Management Units across the country. MannionDaniels, as the in-country Local Fund Agent, conducts reviews and on-site data verification to advise the Global Fund how to improve grant implementation.

What we did

In nine units we carried out monitoring and evaluation visits and supply chain reviews. These checked if tools and supplies were in place to detect TB and assessed wider laboratory equipment. The main objective was to evaluate TB diagnostic practices, identify challenges that prevent the diagnostic units from performing effectively and to propose evidence-base interventions to increase detection of TB and multi-drug resistant TB.

Mobile data collection

The data was collected using a smartphone platform. The platform allowed for all the data to be collected and reviewed by the team in one place, in real-time. It stores data without needing a consistent connection to the internet. This offered a time efficient, secure, and connected way of monitoring and evaluating the activities.

The evaluation showed:

• A need to boost the number of active cases found and the need for a strategy to find more TB cases in the community
• A need to include laboratory commodities in the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) and to have Laboratory Technicians trained on commodity management
• That the lack of air conditioning in four TB facilities may impact performance of equipment, demonstrating a need for reliable air conditioning
• That there is a need to train the TB facility staff in data recording and analysis.