CHARMS Application Suite, (The): A Community-Based, Mobile Data-Collection and Alerting Environment for HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Zambia

World Vision (WV) uses the Core HIV and AIDS Response Monitoring System (CHARMS) to track and measure core indicators related to individuals with HIV and AIDS within the communities WV serves. WV uses community care coalitions of volunteer caregivers to care for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Current CHARMS data collection involves the registration of caregivers, households, and OVC. Data is manually collected by caregivers about OVC during monthly home visits and manually aggregated semiannually. This research project developed a software application that runs on a low-cost cell phone to automate the CHARMS data collection, alerting and reporting process. The mobile application allows for caregivers to record CHARMS data using the mobile application and transmit the data in real time using an SMS-based wireless communication service. The application also includes real-time Web- and e-mail-based reporting and mobile phone alerting based on key events (food shortage, OVC not visited). During the summer of 2009, a field pilot project was conducted in Zambia involving 10 caregivers. The system allowed for the registration of 300 OVC and 200 households. A total of 145 home visits were recorded via the mobile application. Extensive assessment data was collected during the field experience. 100% of the caregivers would recommend the continued use of cell phones to record CHARMS data for reasons ranging from time saving (90%), ease of use (70%), and more interesting to use (40%). The caregivers said the cell phone application either had a very positive (80%) or positive (20%) impact on the quality of their home visit.