Objective
To improve HIV and TB diagnosis and treatment through the design, implementation, and evaluation of a new health telematics system adapted to local healthcare needs in Tanzania.

The project approach will ensure Central TB and HIV diagnostic and treatment services of St. Francis Referral Hospital (SFRH),  Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Ifakara and Kilombero District (central Tanzania) will be linked with rural health centers by a health telematics infrastructure (HTI) based on the open-source software open data kit (ODK) and mobile devices (smartphones, tablets).

In order to achieve this outcome, the partners will provide; 

• The medical definition of concepts and workflows in Tanzania for HIV and TB care and detailed flowcharts for processes in HTI

• Questionnaires and data requirements for each step of the workflow in HTI in ODK- readable format

• Inputs to co-author a scientific publication on data protection.

At the end of the project, 

• The partners will ensure training and will provide technical support for end-users in Tanzania to use mobile devices and connect the users to the internet and the server of the HTI.

• Responsible for developing, contracting, and financing the HTI on the server level, including all access formats to the server (browser-based, app-based, SMS communication).

• Responsible for selection, contracting, and financing the data center.

• Using basic Gather/Aether hosted solution to support and monitor automated reporting.

• Developing an SMS connector for Aether, specific to requirements defined in the inception phase.

• Responsible for implementing, maintaining, and servicing the central server preferably hosted on a secure cloud service.

• Implementing industry-standard data protection, security measures, and backup system to restore data in case of loss

• Implementing an access control system using different user roles, adapting and limiting the level of data access and the right of granting access to new users/user management.

• Providing technical support to answer service requests from the project leader or the local project leader(s) in Tanzania.

• Training the coordinator and multiplicator users of the HTI.

• Participate, co-author, and support publication of the HTI in scientific publications by the project team.

• Troubleshooting and support for all server-related functions to coordinator and multiplicator users in Tanzania

• Technical documentation and publication of the HTI process as an open-source project available to the public