ITPC’s Community Data & Advocacy Manager Jelena Bozinovski recently participated in the UNAIDS Global Consultation on Strategic Data to Accelerate the HIV Response.
She introduced the concept of Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) as a model for generating, using, and influencing HIV data systems.
Jelena described CLM as a continuous feedback mechanism grounded in four pillars: education, evidence, engagement, and advocacy. The process begins with communities identifying their own needs and priorities, followed by co-creation of indicators with partners. Mixed methods quantitative surveys and qualitative tools such as focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) are used to collect data. These data are then analyzed to identify gaps and trends, and findings are presented to decision-makers to drive accountability and action.
In Malawi, CLM helped detect service disruptions following U.S. funding cuts, including declines in HIV testing, ART initiation, and viral load suppression. In South Africa, CLM contributed to increased pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation and improved tuberculosis ttreatment success rates.
Bozinovski emphasized that CLM is not a separate stream but a foundational layer for real-time course correction and systems feedback. She called for integration of community intelligence into national health information systems, noting that AI and DHIS2 are insufficient without community-generated signals.