Applying Human-Centered Design to Replicate an Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Intervention: A Case Study of Binti Shupavu in Kenya.

We present a case study describing the use of human-centered design (HCD) to determine how to adapt intervention components from an existing contraceptive uptake program for adolescent girls in 4 geographical contexts (Ethiopia, northern Nigeria, southern Nigeria, and Tanzania) for use in Kenya. First, we prioritized existing intervention components to be tested in Kenya using sacrificial concepts. Through these concepts, we identified key insights and behavioral archetypes from which to build higher-fidelity prototypes, leveraging existing program knowledge and resources while responding to unique opportunities for Kenyan adolescent girls. After 2 rounds of prototyping, we launched a high-fidelity intervention designed to improve contraceptive uptake among girls. We used program experience to identify strategies for improvement during early implementation. The resulting model, Binti Shupavu, is designed to tap into girls' aspirations and connect them with contraceptive use, build their trust in the health system, and work with influencers to build support for adolescent contraceptive use, following the global user journey. In the first year of implementation (January-December 2022), the intervention was scaled from 90 facilities to 360 facilities and reached 60,111 adolescent girls aged 10-19 years. Of these, 21,698 were new voluntary contraceptive users (36%) and an additional 3,873 (19%) were continuing users.Our design process suggests that HCD is a promising tool for navigating replication. The emphasis on users' perspectives, testing to learn, and collaboration facilitated a deep understanding of the new user population, thus guiding program designers to balance using existing components with developing new ones based on the population's unique needs. Finally, HCD has potential to support the localization agenda if design teams are supported by national, regional, and global experts to be aware of and use the evidence and implementation experience from earlier work.

Fever case management at private health facilities and private pharmacies on the Kenyan coast: analysis of data from two rounds of client exit interviews and mystery client visits.

BACKGROUND: Private sector availability and use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) lags behind the public sector in Kenya. Increasing channels through which quality malaria diagnostic services are available can improve access to testing and help meet the target of universal diagnostic testing. Registered pharmacies are currently not permitted to perform blood tests, and evidence of whether malaria RDTs can be used by non-laboratory private providers in line with the national malaria control guidelines is required to inform ongoing policy discussions in Kenya. METHODS: Two rounds of descriptive cross-sectional exit interviews and mystery client surveys were conducted at private health facilities and registered pharmacies in 2014 and 2015, 6 and 18 months into a multi-country project to prime the private sector market for the introduction of RDTs. Data were collected on reported RDT use, medicines received and prescribed, and case management of malaria test-negative mystery clients. Analysis compared outcomes at facilities and pharmacies independently for the two survey rounds. RESULTS: Across two rounds, 534 and 633 clients (including patients) from 130 and 120 outlets were interviewed, and 214 and 250 mystery client visits were completed. Reported testing by any malaria diagnostic test was higher in private health facilities than registered pharmacies in both rounds (2014: 85.6% vs. 60.8%, p < 0.001; 2015: 85.3% vs. 56.3%, p < 0.001). In registered pharmacies, testing by RDT was 52.1% in 2014 and 56.3% in 2015. At least 75% of test-positive patients received artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in both rounds, with no significant difference between outlet types in either round. Provision of any anti-malarial for test-negative patients ranged from 0 to 13.9% across outlet types and rounds. In 2015, mystery clients received the correct (negative) diagnosis and did not receive an anti-malarial in 75.5% of visits to private health facilities and in 78.4% of visits to registered pharmacies. CONCLUSIONS: Non-laboratory staff working in registered pharmacies in Kenya can follow national guidelines for diagnosis with RDTs when provided with the same level of training and supervision as private health facility staff. Performance and compliance to treatment recommendations are comparable to diagnostic testing outcomes recorded in private health facilities.

Quality issues with malaria rapid diagnostic test accessories and buffer packaging: findings from a 5-country private sector project in Africa.

BACKGROUND: Use of antigen-detecting malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has increased exponentially over the last decade. WHO's Global Malaria Programme, FIND, and other collaborators have established a quality assurance scheme to guide product selection, lot verification, transport, storage, and training procedures. Recent concerns over the quality of buffer packaging and test accessories suggest a need to include these items in product assessments. This paper describes quality problems with buffer and accessories encountered in a project promoting private sector RDT use in five African countries and suggests steps to avoid or more rapidly identify and resolve such problems. METHODS: Private provider complaints about RDT buffer vials and kit accessories were collected during supervisory visits, and a standard assessment process was developed. Using 100 tests drawn from six different lots produced by two manufacturers, lab technicians visually assessed alcohol swab packaging, blood transfer device (BTD) usability, and buffer appearance, then calculated mean blood volume from 10 BTD transfers and mean buffer volume from 10 individual buffer vials. WHO guided complaint reporting and follow-up with manufacturers. RESULTS: Supervisory visits confirmed user reports of dry alcohol swabs, poorly functioning BTDs, and non-uniform volumes of buffer. Lot testing revealed further evidence of quality problems, leading one manufacturer to replace buffer vials and accessories for 40,000 RDTs. In December 2014, WHO issued an Information Notice for Users regarding variable buffer volumes in single-use vials and recommended against procurement of these products until defects were addressed. DISCUSSION: Though not necessarily comprehensive or generalizable, the findings presented here highlight the need for extending quality assessment to all malaria RDT test kit contents. Defects such as those described in this paper could reduce test accuracy and increase probability of invalid, false positive, or false negative results. Such deficiencies could undermine provider confidence in RDTs, prompting a return to presumptive treatment or reliance on poor quality microscopy. In partial response to this experience, WHO, FIND, and other project partners have developed guidance on documenting, troubleshooting, reporting, and resolving such problems when they occur.