Developing What Works Best
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Category: People

Perspectives on the Design Collaborative

Dec 11, 2014

Last week’s BLN Design Collaborative brought together health officials from 9 sub-Saharan African countries to discuss and iterate on the design of BID Initiative solutions. The meeting provided a fantastic opportunity for country partners to gather and learn from one another. I personally had the chance to sit down with some of the attendees to discuss challenges related to immunization data in their countries and get their perspective on the value of peer learning and their role in the BLN as a design country.

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Digital Health at Scale: Getting Beyond Pilot Projects

Dec 9, 2014

It took almost 20 years for barcodes to be fully adopted across the grocery industry. Today they’re in use worldwide, delivering efficiency and automation on a massive scale. It took the efforts of a dedicated visionary to show the impact that a single, universal-sized shipping container would bring to the trucking and freight industry. Today, shippers around the globe can be sure that a standard-sized container will fit on the truck that delivers it to the port in Mombasa and on the truck that unloads it in Seattle.

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Importance of Partnerships

Dec 2, 2014

I recently stopped in Geneva on my way home from visiting the BID Initiative teams in Tanzania and Zambia to meet with important stakeholders at Gavi. While the BID Initiative work primarily focuses on activities in Sub-Saharan Africa with the BID Learning Network (BLN) and in our demonstration countries; , we are also building partnerships with global and bi-lateral agencies like Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, USAID, and others.

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Using ICT to Improve Immunization Programs

Nov 26, 2014

I was fortunate to be invited to a WHO stakeholder consultation meeting earlier this month in Istanbul. The meeting focused on sharing experiences using information and communication technology to improve immunization programs. In addition, we brainstormed possibilities for future use and introduction of innovation and finally, consulted on the roles that WHO should play to enable adoption of promising technologies, focusing on WHO’s normative function around data standards, as well as on its advisory function concerning use of data, and managing innovation for scalable and sustainable outcomes. Clearly from a BID Initiative perspective, we had a lot to learn and to contribute.

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BID Initiative is on Facebook and Twitter!

Nov 24, 2014

We are pleased to announce that the BID Initiative is now on Facebook and Twitter! We are looking forward to further connecting with our country partners, key stakeholders, and those interested in our efforts towards achieving better immunization outcomes through improved data quality, collection and use. We encourage you to fan and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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BLN Design Collaborative Preview, 1st-4th December 2014

Nov 18, 2014

The BID Learning Network (BLN) is a mechanism within the BID Initiative for peer-to-peer learning, problem analysis and exchange of ideas that are expected to culminate into solutions appropriate to participating countries. Its intent is to promote deeper connectivity between immunization and eHealth communities to share best practices, innovations and together interrogate challenges and propose solutions. The BLN is a platform to acquire practical skills and knowledge that strengthen existing in-country efforts. To facilitate contributions, the BLN regularly conducts webinars, publishes blog posts, prompts discussion through Google Groups and holds technical and general meetings that afford opportunities for learning and interaction among participants.

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How to Improve Access to Affordable Health Care

Nov 13, 2014

In support of their Healthy Means campaign, Devex published an article, “How to improve access to affordable health care,” that resonates with some of the work we are doing with the BID Initiative. The article stresses that while access and affordability are important, without strong health systems and quality service delivery with accountability and effective oversight, health care service will remain insufficient.

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A Strategic Approach to Investing in Data Systems

Nov 5, 2014

In 2012, when Bill and Melinda Gates approved the creation of an explicit Routine Immunization strategy, we noted to them that improved immunization data is a fundamental driver of improved immunization systems overall. However, at the time, we did not have a comprehensive, strategic approach to investing in data systems. Rather than conduct a series of small, academic studies on this topic, we made a large investment to PATH—the Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative—with the belief that systems change, and improving data, would require a complex, holistic approach and that based in part of the BID Initiative’s progress, we’d figure out our own strategy along the way.

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Perspectives on the Digital Development Opportunity

Oct 31, 2014

PATH’s DHS team has been early supporters and shapers of the GreenTree Consensus, a set of principles focusing on the importance of working with governments and key stakeholders to ensure that all projects and services are appropriate, scalable and affordable. Kate Wilson, a key advisor to the BID Initiative, recently provided her perspective on the article on the PATH blog, citing the BID Initiative as a great example of how technology is enabling innovative solutions to global problems.

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Interventions: Community Micro-training Videos

Oct 29, 2014

In an effort to build on momentum being gained within PATH, the Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative is leveraging a project that is bringing micro-training videos to targeted communities. More specifically, Projecting Health is a community-led, video-driven approach that empowers the communities to identify, develop and produce their own videos to foster the adoption of desired behaviors.

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