Effective responses to infectious disease epidemics
depend on timely information. Data collection, data
management, data analysis and data use all play crucial
roles in public health responses to infectious diseases.
Information systems configured to provide
timely data can provide essential support for disease
detection, management and control efforts.1
One major challenge facing national HIV programs
is the need to coordinate and harmonize data collection
efforts. In the case of complex conditions, such
as HIV/AIDS, the demand for data is enormous.
Government agencies need data to assess the magnitude
of disease, to guide policy decisions, and to
shape disease prevention, treatment and control efforts.
External donors need data specific to the
programs that they support. Numerous other stakeholders
also need data, including non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and academic researchers. In
many countries, this plurality of data needs has
given rise to multiple data collection systems for
disease surveillance and program monitoring and
evaluation (M&E). These multiple systems most
often generate data that are not standardized,
making comparisons over time, across geographic
areas or between programmatic areas difficult or
impossible.