USAID supports the development of digital health solutions and health information systems (HIS) responsible for the collection, aggregation, analysis, and use of routine HIV and health data. USAID believes that by building human resources for HIS, establishing clear processes for data management and use, and supporting the use of appropriate technology, communities, partner governments, and other stakeholders are able to manage HIV programs more effectively to achieve better health outcomes.

USAID Contribution

In alignment with the Agency’s Digital Health Vision for Action, USAID invests in country, regional, and global activities to advance digital health solutions that address client, provider, partner government, and Agency needs for data collection, analysis, and use. Examples of these activities include:

  • Developing community HIS, such as electronic case management information systems for priority populations programming.
  • Supporting electronic medical records systems that track and monitor HIV patient data at health facilities to assure quality patient care and improved HIV treatment outcomes.
  • National and subnational data and analytics platforms to support health program decision-makers in visualizing integrated data sets and using a standardized approach to analyze and action data in real time for continuous program improvement.

The Agency contributes to knowledge sharing across the digital health space through:

  • >The Data Use Community, a PEPFAR-supported open community of organizations and individuals passionate about improving health and healthcare data sharing. This community’s mission is to address three key needs: sharing best practices, supporting donor alignment, and providing ground-level implementation perspectives.
  • The Health Data Collaborative, a joint effort by multiple global health partners to work alongside countries to improve the availability, quality, and use of data for local decision-making and tracking progress toward health-related goals. The Agency supports the network of working groups addressing key issues such as systems interoperability, data governance, and community-based monitoring systems.

USAID Projects Supporting Digital Health for HIV

USAID works with the following centrally-managed projects to build, support, and manage digital health solutions that support patient monitoring, provider care, health facility performance management, and program performance review:

  • Data.FI is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through USAID. Data.FI is a global project that helps countries strengthen and sustain access to key, high-quality data to accelerate and maintain HIV and COVID-19 epidemic control.
  • Digital Square is a PATH-led initiative funded by USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a consortium of other donors. Digital Square brings technical, operational, and advocacy expertise to address well-recognized barriers to scaling digital health. The project’s 80+ institutional partnerships across the sector help to identify barriers faced by various stakeholders and collectively design new approaches to overcome these challenges.

Additional Resources