From first jab to the next: The data system tracking South Africa’s LEN roll-out

Giving someone their first LEN jab is easy to count.

Knowing whether they return six months later is what tells us whether the programme is really working.

A digital system called SyNCH connects LEN clinics in all provinces outside the Western Cape, which uses a different system, allowing health workers to see information about a person’s previous LEN doses when they visit another participating clinic.

The information feeds into a dashboard that helps health officials see who is using LEN, where uptake is low and where clinics may need more support.

South Africa still doesn’t have a comprehensive national electronic patient record.

The LEN system shows what becomes possible when health information can follow a patient between clinics.

In today’s newsletter , Ntombi Sigwebela tells us why the first LEN jab isn’t enough.

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COMMENT Giving someone an HIV prevention injection is one thing.

Knowing whether they come back six months later for their next one is another.

That difference matters.

South Africa started rolling out lenacapavir, or LEN, a twice-yearly injection that prevents HIV, in June .

But the success of the programme cannot be measured simply by counting how many people receive their first injections.

The health department also needs to know whether people return for their second and third doses.