Perceptions of 99dots among Health Staff and Beneficiaries Attending the Visakhapatnam District Hospital, Andhra Pradesh

Back Ground: The Need of the hour in TB treatment is compliance and motivation to prevent drug resistance TB. To achieve this one of the methods adopted keeping in mind the easy availability of mobile phones is 99DOTS. The study was conducted to know the perception of 99DOTS among Health staff and Beneficiaries. Methodology: A Qualitative study was conducted by doing In- depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) during November 2017 at ART Centre and TB Hospital. Sample size in- cluded beneficiaries on Phone call (22), one to one interviews (5) of Beneficiaries, Key informants (8), and FGDs (2). Results: Key informants perceived that it as a good programme as the reason being adherence and protection of patient identity is maintained. Problems regarding 99 dots are missing of direct ob- servation of the patient regarding consumption of the tablet and problem in usage of mobile phones by illiterates. Patients per- ceived the concept of 99 dots as a good programme as adherence is improved and their personal privacy is protected. Problems like lack of personal phone, difficulty in usage of phone, non- availability of Network and seeking help from others due to illiter- acy. Conclusion: 99DOTS improves convenience to patients and allows providers to focus on non-adherent patients. Patients have to be trained for using mobile features such as remainders, alerts

Community Dynamics and Engagement Strategies in Establishing Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance Systems: A Multi-Site Report from India

Background: Six diverse Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance System (DDESS) sites were established in urban slum, urban resettlement, peri-urban, rural, and tribal areas located in Northern, North-East, Eastern, and Southern regions of India from June 2020 to March 2022. Understanding the community dynamics and engaging people in the community is critically important in the process of establishing DDESS. We ascertained the barriers, challenges, and facilitators during the establishment of multiple DDESS sites across India. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive mixed-methods study. Results: Multiple barriers and challenges encountered were reported in the process of community engagement (CE), such as geographical inaccessibility, language barriers, adverse weather, non-responsiveness due to perceived lack of individual benefit or financial gain, fear of contracting COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, etc. Facilitators in the CE process were pre-existing links with the community, constitution of community advisory boards, community need assessment, concomitant delivery of outreach health services, and skill-building facilities. Conclusion: Most community barriers in the development of DDESS sites in resource-limited settings can be overcome through a multipronged approach, including effective community engagement by focusing on demonstrating trust at the local level, enlisting community mobilization and support, utilizing pre-existing community linkages, initiating community diagnosis, and meeting perceived community health needs

Community Dynamics and Engagement Strategies in Establishing Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance Systems: A Multi-Site Report from India

Background: Six diverse Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance System (DDESS) sites were established in urban slum, urban resettlement, peri-urban, rural, and tribal areas located in Northern, North-East, Eastern, and Southern regions of India from June 2020 to March 2022. Understanding the community dynamics and engaging people in the community is critically important in the process of establishing DDESS. We ascertained the barriers, challenges, and facilitators during the establishment of multiple DDESS sites across India. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive mixed-methods study. Results: Multiple barriers and challenges encountered were reported in the process of community engagement (CE), such as geographical inaccessibility, language barriers, adverse weather, non-responsiveness due to perceived lack of individual benefit or financial gain, fear of contracting COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, etc. Facilitators in the CE process were pre-existing links with the community, constitution of community advisory boards, community need assessment, concomitant delivery of outreach health services, and skill-building facilities. Conclusion: Most community barriers in the development of DDESS sites in resource-limited settings can be overcome through a multipronged approach, including effective community engagement by focusing on demonstrating trust at the local level, enlisting community mobilization and support, utilizing pre-existing community linkages, initiating community diagnosis, and meeting perceived community health needs