Routine health information system and health facility data for neglected tropical diseases: general guidance for national programme managers and data clerks

What this guideline says

GMJ summary

This WHO normative guidance establishes standards for integrating neglected tropical disease (NTD) data into national routine health information systems (RHIS). Covering 21 NTDs including Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue, dracunculiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, rabies, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, trachoma, and yaws, the document provides harmonized core indicators, case definitions, and data quality metrics for health facility-based and community-based interventions.

The guidance promotes mainstreaming NTD data into existing national health information systems rather than maintaining parallel vertical systems. It defines key programme indicators across five core NTD interventions: preventive chemotherapy (with targets such as 75% coverage for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases, 65% for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, 80% for trachoma, 90% for yaws), case management, veterinary public health, vector control, and WASH. Data quality assessment standards include completeness (≥90% of monthly facility reports received), timeliness (≥75% submitted on deadline), and internal and external consistency checks.

The document forms part of the WHO RHIS toolkit and supports the road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030. It includes standardized case definitions (suspected, probable, confirmed) for all 21 NTDs, disaggregation requirements by age, sex, administrative unit, and disease characteristics, and guidance on using data for monitoring progress toward control, elimination, or eradication targets. A companion compendium provides detailed indicator metadata.

Key points

For clinicians — doses and thresholds as stated in the guideline

1. Preventive chemotherapy minimum effective coverage targets: 75% for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases; 65% for lymphatic filariasis; 65% (rising to 80%) for onchocerciasis; 80% for trachoma; 90% for yaws; 75% for foodborne trematodiases; 70% for taeniasis.
2. Data quality benchmarks: ≥90% of expected monthly health facility reports received; ≥75% of reports submitted on time; districts with <90% non-zero values flagged for review.
3. All NTD cases disaggregated by age groups: <1 year, 1–4 years, 5–14 years, 15–24 years, 25–49 years, 50–64 years, ≥65 years; by sex (male/female); and by case classification (suspected, probable, confirmed).
4. Dracunculiasis and yaws rumours must be investigated within 24 hours in areas targeted for eradication.
5. Case definitions standardized across three levels: suspected (clinical criteria), probable (clinical + epidemiological or presumptive lab), confirmed (laboratory-confirmed or specific diagnostic criteria).
6. Vector control coverage measured as proportion of households receiving integrated vector management activities and proportion of population at risk protected annually.
7. Rabies and snakebite envenoming require reporting: number of people bitten by animals, deaths within 3 months of bite, and people receiving post-exposure prophylaxis or antivenom.
8. Logistics indicators tracked monthly: opening stock, products received, products consumed, days stocked out, and products expired by NTD medical product type.

Standard metrics for periodic assessment of data quality for NTD programmes

Table extracted from the guideline

Source: World Health Organization, Routine health information system and health facility data for neglected tropical diseases: general guidance for national programme managers and data clerks. Reproduced in summary form.

From the guideline

Verbatim

“NTD programmes are strongly encouraged to mainstream NTD data collection, storage, analysis and reporting into national health information systems.”

Editor’s perspective

Why this matters for Georgia and the region

Applicability

Georgia and the South Caucasus

Questions this guideline answers

Quick answers

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