Output Monitoring System for Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM)

Greetings from India! In our project addressing both prevention and treatment of Acute Malnutrition we have designed our monitoring system using Epidata as the data entry platform. We currently have monthly data being entered for nearly 8000 children under 5 and also data of 2000 pregnant mothers. Analysis is done by exporting to SPSS. Epidata being free has greatly helped us avoid costs of software development but retains the benefits of customisation. All the output indicators that Mr Myatt mentions are included as are a few others. Look forward to the other responses

Dear Roger, UNICEF HQ is currently rolling out a global SAM reporting tool in an attempt to harmonize terminology and definitions around indicators. The idea is to set up a common framework of key programme output indicators across countries. In terms of country reporting systems, several countries have strong systems: Ethiopia uses Microsoft Access covering core CMAM indicators along the lines of what Mark outlines above. Pakistan, as you say, has developed their own software and interestingly are also looking at incorporating IYCF and micronutrient indicators alongside the CMAM indicators. In developing the Pakistan system, colleagues also created community worker field forms to fill and charted out the data flow. Happy to provide more info to you if you want (jhedges@unicef.org).

Dear James It would be really helpful to know the exact CMAM indicators that are being used in the global SAM reporting tool. Perhaps you could share the list or a link so we can all have a look? As you know the MRP includes indicators for SFP which were agreed by consensus some years back and then SAM treatment indicators where added in early 2012, also produced through a consensus building process in which GNC memebrs were invited to participate (see www.mrp-sw.com). As the MRP is being used by a number of NGOs in a number of countries and is open for any future interested partners to use if they see utility in it, it would be great to check the alignment of the indicators in both tools and if there are any clashes, discuss what to do about that so that users are not confused. Thanks a lot for sharing what you can. very best Vicky

Dear Roger, I think Vietnam uses DHIS 2 (District Health Information System 2) platform as HMIS. In such case, you could use the same platform for OMS. From my experience in South Sudan, we developed a monthly reporting format in DHIS for all Nutrition projects based on Nutrition Cluster's requirement and piloted in one state.

In World Vision, we have a CMAM Online database where we input OTP, SFP for <5 years and SFP for PLW into the online database. We do this on a monthly basis and input data such as new admissions, cured, defaulters, re-admissions and other essential data. This can later be analysed and is very user friendly as it has inbuilt formulas that can draw charts, calculate cure, death and defaulter rates respectively. The system generates an excel sheet which comes with all the outputs one can be used to take stock of the project. Anyone with rights can access the online database from any corner/location in the world and with just a click of the mouse, one can analyze and see the progress of a particular program. I believe it is one of the best tools so far and quite user friendly. Actually in 2012, the nutrition project we are implementing here had excellent results attaining cure rate, defaulter rate,and death rate that are within the SPHERE STANDARDS. The website is https://cmam.wvncoe.org In Kenya, the ministry also has an online information system which is also helpful in inputting data for every health facility in Kenya. It can be accesses from this website.- https://hiskenya.org If you have more questions, you can get in touch with me through Alfred_Kazungu@wvi.org or through my personal email kkarisah@gmail.com.