The BID
Learning
Network

Dec 21, 2018

MMS Bulletin #148: Marrying engineering with health policy to bring digital health to scale

MMS Bulletin

Subjects: People, Policies, Practices, Products
Countries: Global

Just as medical doctors take the Hippocratic Oath as they graduate into their profession, so do many engineers solemnly promise to carry out work to the highest quality, recognizing that any errors may put lives at stake. Given this sharing of fundamental values, engineering is a profession that could be leveraged even further towards public health information systems to address opportunities created by the fusion of the early and relatively informal eHealth and mHealth paradigms into the more mature and complex one that is Digital Health. Recently, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a key resolution on Digital Health, urging member states to assess and prioritise the scale-up of the implementation of digital technologies towards the “universal access to health for all” (WHA 71.1, 2018).

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Dec 21, 2018

MMS Bulletin #148: The challenges of implementing a data use culture

MMS Bulletin

Subjects: People, Policies, Practices, Products
Countries: Global

To increase coverage and equity of routine immunization services, the government of Tanzania is strengthening the data use culture through the implementation of a package of data quality and use interventions, including an electronic immunization registry, for immunization service delivery. Three key phases for achieving scale as a government-owned model emerged during the implementation: user-centered design and testing, PATH-led implementation, and government-led implementation with scale-up. A combination of factors contributed to achieving a government-owned model of implementation and ultimately showed significant time and cost savings, as well as greater ownership and ability to sustain and scale the interventions.

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Dec 17, 2018

The power of individual-level data to vaccinate every child

Subjects: People, Policies, Practices, Products
Countries: Global

Digital health interventions have rapidly expanded our ability to record health data, which can lead to improved health systems and better decision-making. In this lightning talk from the Global Digital Health Forum 2018, Jessica Shearer, Acting Director of Health Systems Innovation and Delivery (HSID) at PATH, explains how individual-level data, like the data made available by electronic immunization registries in Tanzania and Zambia, can empower health workers to reach more children with life-saving vaccines.

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Nov 28, 2018

BLN Webinar: Building Capacity in Immunization Data Quality and Use through Mentorship – Introducing the BID Regional Mentors

Subjects: eHealth Plan, Peer Learning, People, Practices, Products

The BID Learning Network (BLN) invites you view a webinar presentation on “Building Capacity in Immunization Data Quality and Use through Mentorship: Introducing the BID Regional Mentors.” In its initial phase, between 2013 and 2018, the BID Initiative introduced a holistic package of interventions in Tanzania and Zambia that included information system products, data management policies, evidence-based practices, and capacity building to empower health workers at all levels of the health system toward data-driven action.

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Nov 14, 2018

The BID Initiative Story

Subjects: Applications, eHealth, eHealth Plan, Packaging, Peer Learning, People, Policies, Practices, Products
Countries: Tanzania, Zambia

The BID Initiative Story highlights the value of collaborative, country-driven planning; local leadership and ownership; user-centered design; and continuous learning and adaptation when developing and deploying innovations. It also shows why we are optimistic about our progress and future efforts to improve health services and outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa by transforming data collection, quality, and use.

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Nov 14, 2018

Tanzania Immunization Registry Functional Requirements

Subjects: Applications, eHealth, Immunization Registry, mHealth, Packaging, People, Products, Software
Countries: Tanzania

The purpose of this document is to present a description of the Tanzania Immunization Registry (TImR), a system developed in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and PATH through the BID Initiative to address many of the challenges the immunization program faces. This document explains the purpose and features of TImR, how it should interface with external systems, the constraints under which the system must operate, and the data that needs to be collected. The full document is available here.

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Nov 14, 2018

Zambia Electronic Immunization Registry User Manual

Subjects: Applications, DHIS2, eHealth, mHealth, Packaging, People, Products, Training
Countries: Zambia

The Zambia Electronic Immunization Registry (ZEIR), powered by the Open Smart Register Platform (OpenSRP), is an open source Android application geared towards frontline health workers with offline functionality and is interoperable with other open source global goods such as District Health Information Software (DHIS2). ZEIR is standard based and has been built to ensure timely, complete and accurate immunization data that enables the tracking of children and their vaccination records. This user manual provides instructions on how to use the ZEIR app during daily work at the health facility.

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Nov 2, 2018

BLN/Gavi Data Quality and Use Collaborative: Call for Expressions of Interest

Subjects: eHealth, eHealth Plan, GAVI, Peer Learning, People, Policies
Countries: Global

This is a call for Expressions of Interest for Gavi-eligible countries to participate in the BID Learning Network/Gavi Data Quality and Use (BLN/Gavi DQU) Collaborative. Please read the BLN/Gavi DQU introductory note before completing this form. The duly completed and signed form should be sent to cmuyawala@path.org with copy to cputa@path.org by Friday 16^th November 2018. The full application form can be found here.

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Oct 26, 2018

Introducing the BLN/Gavi Data Quality and Use (BLN DQU) Collaborative

Subjects: GAVI, Immunization Registry, Peer Learning, People, Policies, Practices

The BID Learning Network (BLN) is partnering with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to work with Gavi countries to improve data quality and use through peer learning and interaction, coupled with collective analysis and resolution of immunization data-related problems. The peer interaction and learning activities will be conducted virtually using different formats, including webinars, problem-solving sessions, panel discussions, debates and training, as appropriate. Continuous interaction between peers will be facilitated through WhatsApp groups and other social media channels. The countries will function as a collaborative, collectively setting desired performances and strategies to achieve these desired levels of performance. The BLN/Gavi Data Quality and Use (BLN DQU) Collaborative will work with partners, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), to identify opportunities for learning and capacity building among country personnel managing immunization data in their countries. A critical part of this work will include monitoring and documenting the experiences and lessons that arise out of this collaborative. Learn more about the BLN DQU Collaborative.

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