Strategic Information Management Unit (SIMU)

Evidence based planning is the key element of halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the state under National AIDS Control Program (NACP). Hence Strategic Information Management Unit (SIMU) is established at Gujarat State AIDS Control Society to maximize effective use of all available data/information and prepare evidence based action plan for effectual implementation of HIV/AIDS Programme in the state. SIMU - GSACS integrates all available sources of data/information and presents logical and rational strategic information useful for decision making. The output from SIMU addresses strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, surveillance and research and assist GSACS in tracking the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the effectiveness of the response as well as assess how well GSACS and its partner organizations are fulfilling their commitment to meet agreed objectives.

Goal

• To develop strong monitoring & evaluation system to track trends & risk factors, driving HIV epidemic
• To strengthen evidence based action plan
• Data sharing with all programme officers at regular interval 

Objectives

• Development of robust and responsive system of collecting and analyzing data.
• To understand the magnitude and trajectory of  HIV epidemic
• Tracking the performance of the programs. 

Strategy

• To develop one State level Monitoring & Evaluation system (SIMU)
• One State AIDS Control Society  Unit as coordinating authority
• One HIV/AIDS action framework that provides the basis for coordinating the work of all partners
• Maintenance of state level database through SIMS, PALS, IMS
  
• Capacity building and review of all components
  
• Yearly, Monthly and Quarterly trend analysis for all components
• Decentralization of M&E Plan at District level
• Capacity building at the district level reporting units

ABOUT SOCH - Strengthening Overall Care for HIV beneficiaries

The objective of Project SOCH is to create a beneficiary-centric web and mobile based system, to track and record, beneficiary service and inventory transactions in the National HIV program to improve service delivery and beneficiary health outcome. The system will capture inventory and service delivery information pertaining to individual beneficiaries throughout the HIV continuum, create a centralized repository of EHR (Electronic-Health Record) and facilitate forecasting, inventory planning and clinical decision support. The proposed system will form part of the overall IT landscape of MoHFW, have API based linkages with other independent MoHFW IT systems that intersect with the HIV continuum.

SOCH runs across and seeks to completely digitize all 5 key aspects of the National HIV Program. These are

• Prevention through Targeted Interventions for Key Populations
• Testing and Detection through Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres
• Care, Support and Treatment through ART Centres
• Viral Load suppression for PLHIVs
• Lastly, the Inventory module to provide a centralised and transparent view to oversee all stock under the program