Celebrating International Women’s Day in Zambia
Mar 6, 2015
Posted in General
Annually on the 8th of March, Zambia, one of the BID Initiative’s demonstration countries, celebrates International Women’s Day, a day celebrated since 1964 when Zambia received independence. The aim of this holiday is to inspire women and celebrate women’s achievements. It is a time to reflect on progress made on issues affecting women, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary woman who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their communities.
Read MoreResources: Information Systems for EPI
Mar 2, 2015
Posted in Policies & Practices, Products
I am honored and excited to present at the Inaugural Conference of the International Association of Immunization Managers (IAIM) on March 3-4, 2015, in Istanbul, Turkey. A program of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, this two day conference brings together over 300 participants and offers immunization manager members the opportunity to meet their peers in other countries, exchange information and best practices in immunization program management, and learn more about the professional support that IAIM offers them to help advance their management and leadership skills.
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Team Member Spotlight: Dawn Seymour
Feb 27, 2015
Posted in General
The BID Initiative team works across three countries in the United States, Tanzania and Zambia. This week, we learn more about Dawn Seymour, Technical Advisor in Zambia.
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The Role of Data in the Measles Outbreak
Feb 24, 2015
Posted in General
As we have seen with Ebola and now with the measles outbreak in the U.S., an outbreak or epidemic requires a quick response that is highly reliant on good data. From identifying where the outbreak started to tracing human contact to help contain the disease, without quality data and the means to make decisions immediately, outbreaks are more likely to spread.
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Team Member Spotlight: Singwa Kahale
Feb 20, 2015
Posted in General
The BID Initiative team works across three countries in the United States, Tanzania and Zambia. This week, we learn more about Singwa Kahale, Arusha Zonal Coordinator in Tanzania for the BID Initiative.
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Team Member Spotlight: Tara Newton
Feb 13, 2015
Posted in General
The BID Initiative team works across three countries in the United States, Tanzania and Zambia. This week, I am proud to be featured and hope you learn a little more about me as a Communications Associate in Seattle for the BID Initiative.
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Better Data, Better Advocacy
Feb 11, 2015
Posted in General
At DefeatDD, we can appreciate the need for strong immunization data. In fact, it was this priority that gave birth to the DefeatDD initiative and our integrated approach to defeating diarrheal disease. Let me back up a few steps.
About eight years ago, PATH and our partners were intensively evaluating then-new rotavirus vaccines’ performance in the countries where the disease hits hardest. We also were helping conduct pivotal surveillance that showed the magnitude of rotavirus morbidity and mortality in the developing world, as well as their potential cost-effectiveness and logistical implications when introduced into national immunization programs. Another part of our role was to share these data and put them in context for Ministers of Health to help inform their decisions when rotavirus vaccines ultimately became available and accessible through WHO prequalification.
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Overcoming Supply Chain Bottlenecks at the Community Level
Feb 9, 2015
Posted in Policies & Practices, Practices, Products
A key component in the BID Initiative approach focuses on supply chain interventions. Interventions such as barcode technology, alerts for expired vaccines and using this data in supply and inventory reports will ensure each clinic has adequate vaccine supply, the district officials have visibility into and can better manage supply levels and the community health workers are trained in supply chain management. Today, we take a look at how another organization, JSI, is Improving Supply Chains for Community Case Management (SC4CCM) through a five-year learning project.
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Team Member Spotlight: Reginah Munsanje-Milambo
Feb 6, 2015
Posted in General
The BID Initiative team works across three countries in the United States, Tanzania and Zambia. This week, we learn more about Reginah Munsanje, Senior Program Assistant in Zambia
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Favorites from The Art of Saving a Life
Feb 3, 2015
Posted in General
Last month, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched a campaign to draw attention to the powerful impact of vaccines: The Art of Saving a Life. The campaign is a collection of stories told through 30 world-renowned artists including writers, photographers, filmmakers, musicians and designers.
I have enjoyed watching this campaign unfold not only because of the beautiful art, but because vaccines are getting their chance in the spotlight to a broader audience. While we work in this world every day, many people are still unaware that a child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable disease.
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