Category: People
BLN offers virtual platform for peer learning as countries square off against COVID-19
May 27, 2020
On a Thursday last month, the Zoom line crackled with greetings and introductions. BID Learning Network (BLN) members from more than a dozen different countries and professional backgrounds convened for a webinar presentation about the application of electronic immunization registries (EIRs) to the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar, which opened with two presentations from Pakistan and Tanzania, was followed by a discussion about maintaining immunization services even as many countries struggle to curb COVID-19. Countries shared challenges, their early lessons from the pandemic, and their concerns for the coming months. It was a chance to talk candidly with peers about a rapidly evolving outbreak that has gripped every corner of the globe.
Read More
Maintaining commitment to immunization in Africa through COVID-19 and beyond
May 14, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a strain on health systems worldwide. The increasing demand on health facilities and health care workers has dramatically shifted resources from essential routine health services—such as immunization—to COVID-19 response as countries put in place measures to control the infection and limit the impact on health systems and economies. However, the world has learned from past outbreaks of diseases like Ebola that disruption of immunization services—even for brief periods—can result in outbreaks and unnecessary deaths.
Read More
Countries gather in Lusaka for BID Learning Network meeting to strengthen digital and data capacity
Mar 24, 2020
For Silemane Ouedraogo, an Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Data Manager in Burkina Faso, one of the most beneficial parts of the BID Learning Network (BLN) is the opportunity to learn from his peers about the digital health systems and technologies that have worked in their own countries. As countries figure out how to make use of limited resources for their health systems, this country engagement is irreplaceable.
Read More
BID Learning Network expands services, mentoring countries across sub-Saharan Africa in digital and data solutions
Feb 19, 2020
The BID Learning Network (BLN) brings together digital health experts and immunization program managers from across sub-Saharan Africa to exchange experiences in implementing electronic immunization registries (EIRs), data management systems, change management approaches, and data use policies and practices. As countries across the world embrace digital solutions, PATH is drawing on its experience in designing, introducing, and scaling digital and data tools in Tanzania and Zambia to help countries address routine data challenges focusing at primary health care level.
Read More
Lessons from the frontlines of the digital revolution: The BID Learning Network mentors countries invested in digital solutions
Jan 23, 2020
Since 2014, the BID Learning Network (BLN) has brought together digital health experts and immunization program managers from across sub-Saharan Africa to share experiences about implementing electronic immunization registries (EIRs), data management systems, change management approaches, and data use policies and practices. The BLN has since expanded its scope to provide a set of holistic services and mentorship on the design, implementation, and scale-up of digital and data solutions to address routine data challenges. For the past few years, the BLN has been mentoring a range of countries interested in adopting digital and data solutions of their own.
Read More
Publication round-up: BID publishes new costing data, learnings, and best practices
Dec 3, 2019
The BID Initiative is committed to advancing the global evidence base around data quality and use interventions to improve immunization service delivery. Informed by our own progress in Tanzania and Zambia, we recently published a series of journal articles and publications that demonstrate the impact of electronic immunization registries (EIRs) on cost savings, vaccine stock levels, and data quality, among other areas. This is a round-up of recent publications and some of the learnings from each.
Read More
The key to better primary health care? Human-centered design
Sep 10, 2019
Human-centered design is an approach to problem-solving that puts people first. Their needs, their constraints, their contexts and their perspectives. It focuses on users—not necessarily what designers, researchers, or others think users need.
Read More
BLN members convene in Lusaka to trade learnings, share progress on digital journey
Aug 28, 2019
Members of the BID Learning Network (BLN) and Gavi Data Quality and Use (DQU) Collaborative met in Lusaka, Zambia last month from July 24 to 26 to share experiences from their respective countries, partner to overcome their challenges around immunization service delivery, and further develop and refine their data quality improvement (DQI) plans. Attendees included country representatives from The Gambia, Mozambique, Liberia, Uganda, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Malawi, and Zambia. Each country is at a slightly different place in their efforts to adopt data quality and use interventions to improve immunization, and so were paired throughout the meeting for peer review of their country plans.
Read More
New publication defines building blocks for a successful electronic immunization registry
Aug 13, 2019
The BID Initiative has just released an exciting new publication that will benefit other countries interested in implementing their own electronic immunization registries (EIRs). In the new journal article, “Electronic immunization registries in Tanzania and Zambia: Shaping a minimum viable product for scaled solutions,” which appeared in the multi-disciplinary, open-access journal, Frontiers in Public Health, BID hopes to help other countries avoid the costly, time-consuming, and complex ramp-up often required of these digital platforms.
Read More
Preparing the health workforce to make the most of data
Aug 5, 2019
For nearly thirty years as a health worker in Tanzania, Salome has used pen and paper to record patient data. A digital transformation promises to streamline her work and improve patient care.
Digital health solutions increase data quality and accessibility, but to be effective and improve patient outcomes, health workers must know how to make the most of the information. For many like Salome, Tanzania’s digital transformation will require retraining and developing new digital literacy skills.
Read More