Strengthening Community-Based Platforms to Enhance Surveillance, Reporting and Management of SGBV

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) often goes unseen and unreported at community level. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, UHF has worked to build SGBV screening into e-CHIS, Uganda’s national digital platform used by Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) and Village Health Teams (VHTs) to record, manage and report community health data.

Using a human-centred, co-creation approach, we designed screening workflows covering sexual, physical and economic violence. These draw on the Baobab violence against children tool and are aligned with World Health Organization, Ministry of Gender and Uganda Bureau of Statistics instruments. The workflows were piloted within e-CHIS, linked to national reporting systems, and supported by updated CHEW and VHT training materials.

• 27 CHEWs trained and deployed in four districts: Lira, Kyenjojo, Mayuge and Namutumba
• 267 SGBV screening reports submitted through e-CHIS
• 24 positive cases identified and referred
• SGBV workflows integrated into e-CHIS and national reporting, with data visible on the Ministry of Health data portal

National rollout of GBV module training for CHEWs and VHTs, routine SGBV screening within e-CHIS without parallel systems, and refresher training and mentorship for those already deployed.