Category: Practices
Highlights from 2017
Dec 27, 2017
This year was our final full year of the BID Initiative as our initial grant ends in April 2018. As we continue full speed ahead into the new year, we are taking a moment to look back at some of the many highlights of 2017.
Read MoreA hotline for health workers using digital tools
Dec 14, 2017
In Southern Province, a nurse was recently trained on the Zambia Electronic Immunisation Registry (ZEIR). She registered a baby who came to the clinic for the first time today. But the nurse can’t enter all the baby’s key information. She is stuck and can’t continue with this child. The nurse is faced with two options: to wait until a district health officer is available to help her troubleshoot, or to call the ZEIR hotline.
Read MoreChampions and super users: ‘Born before computers,’ health workers are driving BID’s work
Nov 22, 2017
A common misconception about some older health workers is they might not be able to grasp new technologies. In some cases, these staff members fear there is a steep learning curve to master the tools, or the electronic tools might take over some of their tasks, making them redundant. There are several health workers shattering these misconceptions. They even joke about their age, calling themselves ‘born before computers’ or ‘BBCs.’
Read MoreBuilding for sustainability: A Q&A about BID’s total cost of ownership tool
Nov 16, 2017
In order to achieve the long-term sustainability of data quality and data use interventions countries and governments must understand the financial investment to develop, implement, and sustain such tools as Tanzania’s and Zambia’s electronic immunization registries (EIRs). This information can help governments budget for and plan for expansion. We caught up with BID’s Senior Health Economist, Mercy Mvundura, to better understand the role of a total cost of ownership (TCO) tool and how it will benefit other countries interested in implementing their own digital health initiatives.
Read MoreChampions and super users: The health workers behind BID’s success
Nov 8, 2017
At the heart of the BID Initiative interventions are the health workers: men and women who are trained in data use interventions, and who work hard to adopt them, proving that improved data leads to improved decisions and thus better health outcomes for children in Zambia.
Read MoreScaling data quality and data use interventions at the NetHope Summit
Nov 2, 2017
Last week, the BID Initiative traveled to Vancouver, Canada to present at the annual NetHope Global Summit. Between October 23-27, more than 300 representatives from across the global health sector, leading technology companies, and funding organizations gathered to address a common goal: the power and promise of technology to address the problems and potential of humanity.
Read MoreCompletion of Tanga marks new milestone for the BID Initiative
Oct 19, 2017
Last month, the BID Initiative completed its second region in Tanzania. Expansion to Tanga provided an opportunity to apply and test the efficacy of data quality and data use interventions, such as defaulter tracing to pinpoint which children had missed a vaccine. As a region with more rural communities, Tanga presented certain logistical challenges with mostly farmers, fishermen and a few pastoralist populations. Interventions were introduced in all 321 health facilities in the region and more than 55,000 children have been entered into the Tanzania Immunization Registry (TImR) in Tanga.
Read MoreTaking the BID Initiative to the TechNet conference
Oct 18, 2017
This week, the BID Initiative is headed to Cascais, Portugal for the 15th TechNet conference. We’re looking forward to showcasing the progress and lessons of the BID Initiative from the last four years. The TechNet Conference is led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF’s Immunization Supply Chain Hub and is co-organized by a multi-partner planning committee.
It brings together immunization professionals/managers, public health agents, development partners, experts, cold chain/vaccine manufacturers, and stakeholders from all around the world to discuss the latest developments in immunization practices and policy.
Becoming data detectives: Health care workers find new meaning in numbers
Oct 4, 2017
Salome Mbegela was sifting through immunization records when she first noticed a discrepancy – a slight uptick in the number of children who had recently missed vaccines. “Defaulters” as they’re often known, are not uncommon in Arusha, Tanzania, where Salome is a reproductive and child health (RCH) nurse. Mothers often encounter long wait times at clinics, vaccine stock-outs that require they come back another day, and a burdensome commute to the nearest health facility.
Read MoreBuilding a “smarter” Zambia – the BID Initiative helps advance country’s digital revolution
Sep 22, 2017
From online banking, to a solar-powered Internet café, and electronic vouchers for the distribution of micro-loans, Zambia is undergoing a digital revolution that is dramatically influencing the growth of the country. More than 80% of Zambians have access to a phone, and 40% have access to 3G connectivity.
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