The Role of Dashboards in Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) Campaigns: A Pilot Report from Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Although there are various malaria intervention measures, the Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) are considered as the most cost-effective intervention measure for malaria endemic countries. This study critically aims to look at the role of dashboards in the 2017 LLIN replacement campaigns that took place across five states (Adamawa, Edo, Imo, Kwara, and Ondo) in Nigeria. Methods: This study conducted an in-depth review of the technical assistance provided by the WHO National Professional Officers on malaria to the five states that implemented the LLIN replacement campaign in 2017 in Nigeria - Adamawa, Edo, Imo, Kwara, and Ondo. Dashboards as strategic monitoring tools were deployed at stages to monitor the pre-implementation. The findings from the dashboards at different stages of the campaign were analysed using the SPSS version 24. Results: The result shows that out of 17 variables on the pre-implementation dashboards, the gaps flagged-off using the dashboard at 3 weeks’ pre-implementation in the implementing states dropped from a maximum of 88.2% (15/17) in Kwara state, 82.3% (14/17) in Edo state, 76.5% (13/17) in Ondo state, and 70.6% (12/17) in Adamawa and Imo states respectively to 0% (0/17) across all the states at three days to the campaign implementation. Also documented is the progressive increase in the proportion of distribution points (DPs) with LLINs by days of implementations from 32% to 45%, 68%, 80% and 100% in day1, day2, day3, day 4 and day 5 respectively. Conclusion: On the overall, this study further underscores the need to scale up the use of the LLIN dashboards that would be monitored using a ‘virtual situation-room’ with the technical input from the WHO NPOs on a real-time basis. This innovation in the malaria control programme in Nigeria would promptly flag-off key issues that potentially affect the quality of the LLIN campaign in Nigeria.