Category: Policies & Practices
Electronic Immunization Registry Discussion Recap
Oct 17, 2014
The Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative created a Google Group to allow BID Learning Network (BLN) participants and those interested in the initiative to voice their ideas, perspectives and feedback as we identify shared problems and solutions. Recently, our Global Director Liz Peloso, kicked off a conversation about electronic immunization registries, citing an example of how Albania has successfully implemented this technology.
Read MoreInnovating to Scale
Oct 7, 2014
A recent article by Joseph Wong, Stanley Zlotkin, Carmen Ho, and Nandita Perumal, “Replicating Parts, not the Whole, to Scale” published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review resonated with me as my colleague and I returned from a visit to Tanzania as part of the Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative. Wong et al. clearly highlight, while we have succeeded in creating viable solutions to the developing world’s challenges, innovations have rarely achieved scale and transformative impact. Thus, the difficulty of translating efficacious innovations into effective innovations beyond a local setting remains elusive.
Read MoreData power: preventing disease on the ground
Oct 2, 2014
A recent article published on the Gavi-powered Vaccines Work blog discusses the power of data at the community level, citing Dr. John Snow’s cholera mapping analysis from the mid-19th century. Our Global Director, Liz Peloso, shares her firsthand experience at an Indonesian clinic where health workers defied the odds defied the odds and effectively used data to identify trends, potential issues, and successfully treat patients before illnesses spread.
Read MoreGAVI’s Data for Management Strategy
Aug 26, 2014
This summer Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance launched a set of supply chain initiatives that complement and support the work being done as part of the BID Initiative. Early this month, UNICEF hosted meetings at its New York offices as part of the Data for Management (D4M) initiative designed to support countries in the development of dashboards for key supply chain indicators. I had the pleasure of participating in the meetings and look forward to testing the concepts with the teams in Tanzania and Zambia over the coming weeks and gather additional input from the BID Learning Network.
Read MoreCapturing the End User Perspective: BID’s User Advisory Group
Aug 13, 2014
To ensure the solutions we propose and implement are sustained by the people who will use them, involving end users early and often is critical. We all know that without active collaboration and involvement of the actual end user during early stages of solution identification and design, we minimize our chances of success. End user involvement is critical in understanding what the user does, what they need, and how to create a sense of ownership that is crucial to the success of any initiative.
Read MoreReaching the Hard to Reach
Jul 24, 2014
Country EPI programs continue to face challenges reaching remote or isolated populations. Oftentimes, the specific country context is integral to identifying the appropriate solution. However, during the recent BID Learning Network (BLN) meeting in Kigali, country EPI managers had the opportunity to discuss some of their mutually-shared challenges regarding their ability to reach the hard to reach.
Read MoreThe BID Learning Network Launches in Kigali, Rwanda
Jul 9, 2014
The BID Learning Network officially launched in Kigali, Rwanda on May 28-30th and brought together delegates from 13 different countries (Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, and Zambia) as well as international partners (WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI) to connect and discuss strategies for strengthening national immunization programs.
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