BLN Launches Study Visits
By Dr. Chilunga Puta, BLN Director, BID Initiative
Jun 20, 2016
Posted in BID Learning Network (BLN), People
Photo: PATH/Trevor Snapp. BID Learning Network participants on a field visit in Arusha, Tanzania during the December 2015 Discussion Meeting.
The BID Learning Network (BLN) brings countries together to identify shared problems and test shared solutions that can be applied in a few countries and then deployed at scale in many. To support this goal, the BLN is pleased to launch study visits!
Study visits will enable BLN demonstration and design countries to learn from projects that have proven success in improving data collection, quality, and use, with emphasis on change management, registry development, and logistics management in African or similar contexts. Additionally, the study visits will foster professional relationships among people working on solutions that address similar problems.
The first study visit will take place in Benin from 11-17 of July, 2016. The BLN identified the VaxTrac project in Benin as one that can offer many lessons to those in the BLN community who are keen to improve data access, quality, and use.
VaxTrac commenced work in Benin in 2012, launching the first iteration of a netbook-based vaccine management system in 28 public health facilities and scaling up to 98 health facilities by 2015. Currently, these centers run on the latest tablet-based version of the VaxTrac system. VaxTrac built a vaccine management system that takes into account the needs of end users, including health workers and mothers, and provides a platform for effectively managing vaccine data at state and national levels. The project’s intent is to achieve national coverage using a tablet-based Android powered solution in Benin.
To learn more about the objectives of the study visit and criteria to apply, please see the Study Visit Concept Note and to apply, download the application.