This community innovation has been accepted at the 2025 DHIS2 Annual Conference
DHIS2 Tracker to Improve SBIRT for Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol use disorders present a significant public health challenge in Zambia, contributing to social and health burdens. To address this, the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and supported by AB InBev, implemented the SBIRT approach in Lusaka District. This initiative aimed to enhance alcohol screening, intervention, and referral services through community-based efforts. Health workers and Alcohol Champions were trained to screen individuals using the AUDIT tool, provide brief interventions, and refer high-risk individuals for treatment. However, challenges such as inconsistent data collection, inefficient referral tracking, and limited real-time access to data hindered the program’s effectiveness. To address these issues, the DHIS2 Tracker, an open-source digital health management system, was integrated into the intervention to improve data quality and monitoring. The DHIS2 Tracker enabled real-time data collection, streamlined intervention documentation, and improved referral tracking and follow-ups via mobile devices. It reduced manual documentation errors, enhancing the accuracy of reported cases. Since its piloting in January 2024, data collected from multiple communities indicated that DHIS2 Tracker significantly improved the efficiency of the SBIRT process. Alcohol Champions found the system’s interface user-friendly, which facilitated better tracking of individuals requiring treatment and higher referral completion rates. Additionally, the system provided quick data access for analysis, supporting data-driven decision-making. Despite successes, challenges such as initial user training and intermittent connectivity issues were noted. The integration of DHIS2 Tracker has proven effective in improving alcohol screening and referral processes, but future efforts should focus on addressing technical challenges and expanding training to ensure long-term sustainability.
Primary Author: Rodgers Chilyabanyama
Keywords:
DHIS2 Tracker, SBIRT, alcohol use disorders, community-based intervention, digital health, Zambia
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