LIS Implementation project for the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) of Zimbabwe

The objective of this project is to put into operation a LIS system interconnected between the different laboratories managed by the Ministry of Health for the collection of patient samples and their identification, analysis, detection and monitoring of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB).

The Research Computing Division of strategic consulting firm RTI International hires Naralabs (Sep 2016) for the definition, modeling, customization and deployment of a Laboratory Information System (LIS) based on the Open Source platform Bika Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) claim.

The project is part of the ZimHISP program for the implementation of a National Health System in Zimbabwe, which among other objectives, mainly aims to establish the necessary infrastructures and mechanisms for the control and monitoring of the incidence of HIV infections in Zimbabwe. It currently affects ~ 1,400,000 people, with a prevalence of ~ 15% in adults between 15 and 49 years and around 30,000 deaths annually.

The project is funded through a cooperation agreement between CDPP PEPFAR and RTI International, which will be completed in September 2021. During this period, Naralabs is the company responsible for the implementation, deployment, synchronization and support of LIMS in the laboratories of the MHoCC , Which are under the control of the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (MoHCC's NMRL).

The objective of this project is to put into operation a LIS system interconnected between the different laboratories managed by the Ministry of Health for the collection of patient samples and their identification, analysis, detection and monitoring of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB). To follow up patients, a system has been designed for the management of clinical cases specifically oriented to these type of diseases, which includes specific indicators of this disease, such as follow-up of patients receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART). The project focuses on analysis and follow-up of samples of pregnant women and children, with specific additional tools for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). The medium-term objective is the creation of a reliable state-wide database with registration of patients who are carriers of the disease and/or who have eventually received treatment. This information is also intended to generate epidemiological reports for the adoption of preventive measures and determination of risk factors in different communities.