Com-WATCH

Jhpiego Corporation (Nigeria)

Com-WATCH

Integrated data-driven technology for tracking stock control and spotting substandard and falsified antibiotic from selected communities in Nigeria

Abuja, FCT, Nigeria

NGA

Nonprofit

Inadequate antibiotic stock and use of SF antibiotics can lead to subtherapeutic dosing, which fails to eliminate infections and allows resistant pathogens to proliferate. This not only compromises patient outcomes but also accelerates the spread of AMR. Approximately 17.4% of antibiotics are SF, with the highest failure rate in Africa and Asia. According to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in 2022, it is estimated between 13%-15%. Despite the recognised impact, there is a lack of comprehensive data on their prevalence, particularly at the community level. Most AMR data in Nigeria, like many places, is derived from tertiary-level, urban hospitals, leaving rural and underserved communities underrepresented. This data gap delays the detection of emerging resistance patterns and undermines the implementation of targeted interventions The lack of real-time community surveillance to detect and report SF antibiotics use amongst humans and animals, reliance on a fragmented paper-based stock control system, poor community participation, and lack of affordable technology to inform effective interventions is also a challenge in Nigeria We aim to close this gap by replacing fragmented, paper-based stock control systems with affordable, technology-driven solutions that integrate stock control and surveillance mechanisms to detect SF antibiotics.

Com-WATCH, low-cost, scalable technology by Jhpiego Nigeria and eHealth Africa, integrates the strengths of successful systems, the Case Management (CM) and the Logistics Management Information System (LOMIS), across 24 states. The CM component employs machine learning (ML) to predict interruptions in treatment (IIT) for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and Tuberculosis (TB), enabling proactive interventions to improve patient care. Simultaneously, LOMIS enhances supply chains by providing real-time tracking of health commodities, ensuring the availability of medicines and vaccines. Com-WATCH operates effectively offline and combines AI-powered analytics, mobile data capture, and both event-based and community-based surveillance. It enables real-time reporting of antibiotics stock, usage, expiries, and suspicious antibiotics. Users, including PPMVs and community members, can verify antibiotics authenticity by uploading package images matched against NAFDAC’s green book database. Social media-integrated chatbots and awareness campaigns promote community engagement and knowledge sharing. All data is streamlined into DHIS2 via an ETL pipeline. The embedded AI engine detects patterns, maps GIS-based SF drug hotspots, and links directly to regulatory systems, supporting real-time responses and continuous learning. Com-WATCH empowers communities, strengthens health systems, and contributes significantly to Nigeria’s fight against antimicrobial resistance and SF antibiotics.

Stock Control: The Com-WATCH solution targets patent proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs), AgroVets, and community healthcare workers (HCW)—key medicine retailers and first access points for antibiotics in rural communities. These providers often uses paper base system to document stock, and confronted with poor stock management, resulting in stockouts, expired drugs, and over/understocking, which hinder access to essential antibiotics. The logistics component of Com-WATCH will generate and store stock control data, improving visibility and enabling prediction of supply-demand issues in the antibiotic supply chain. SF Drug Detection: The SF component targets rural and underserved communities with limited access to safe medicines. It engages community members, HCWs, PPMVs, AgroVets, regulators, and policymakers. Barriers include low awareness, lack of affordable technology, and patient vulnerability, increasing the risk of treatment failure and antimicrobial resistance. Com-WATCH will enhance awareness, provide a low-cost reporting platform, and enable data collection based on events based and community-based surveillance. Integrated data analysis will guide timely decision-making to reduce SF drug use, strengthen regulation, and protect community health