Project Optimize was a unique five-year collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and PATH to identify ways in which supply chains can be optimized to meet the demands of an increasingly large and costly portfolio of vaccines. The overarching goal was to generate momentum to move the immunization world closer to an ideal vaccine supply chain that supports stronger, more adaptable, and more efficient logistics systems, extending the reach of lifesaving health technologies to people around the world.
This page contains links to important project Optimize publications in the following categories.
- Information systems
- Vaccine presentation
- Cold chain technologies
- Temperature monitoring
- Controlled temperature chain
- Supply system design and policies
- 2020 Vision for Vaccine Supply and logistics Systems
- Country reports
- Newsletters
All Optimize publications are available on both the PATH Optimize or WHO Optimize websites. For each publication listed below, links to both websites are provided.
Banner used in the Project Optimize Travelling Exhibit. Photo: WHO/PATH.
Information systems
| Resource | Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toolkit | Planning an information systems project: A toolkit for public health managers |
English | English |
| Photo book | Before and after: How an online immunization registry has benefitted health workers in Albania |
English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Evidence brief | A case for better immunization information systems | English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Overview | Vietnam’s immunization registries go online | English | English |
| Fact sheet | Keeping track of Vietnam’s vaccines | English | English |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: Overview | English | Francais | |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: IIS in Albania | English | |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: VaxTrak in Vietnam | English | |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: ImmReg in Vietnam | English | |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: Logistimo in South Sudan | English | |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: wVSSM in Tunisia | English | |
| YouTube video | Immunization information systems: vrMIS in Mozambique | English |
Vaccine presentation
| Resource | Title | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Journal article | Designing vaccines for developing-country populations: ideal attributes, delivery devices, and presentation formats |
ScienceDirect |
Cold chain technologies
| Resource | Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence brief | Direct-drive solar vaccine refrigerators— a new choice for vaccine storage |
English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Photo book | Installing and testing battery-free solar refrigerators in Vietnam | English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Overview | Stimulating innovation in the vaccine cold chain equipment industry | English | English |
| Fact sheet | Unplugged and keeping cool— testing off-grid vaccine storage solutions in Vietnam |
English | English |
| Overview | Domestic refrigerators for vaccine storage in Tunisia | English | Francais | English | Francais |
Temperature monitoring
| Resource | Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Temperature monitoring for vaccine quality | English | Francais | English | Francais |
Controlled temperature chain
| Resource | Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Controlled temperature chain: Taking advantage of the true heat stability of vaccines |
English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Photo book | Delivering MenAfriVac using the controlled temperature chain approach | English | Francais | English | |
| Manager's Guide | Guidance for immunization program decision-makers and managers (WHO/IVB/13.04) | English | |
| Training Guide | Training module for organizing immunization sessions | English | |
| Facilitator's Guide | Adaptation guide and Facilitators guide | English |
Supply system design and policies
| Resource | Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence brief | Outsourcing vaccine supply chain functions to the private sector | English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Evidence brief | Integrating the supply chains of vaccines and other health commodities |
English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Report | Integration of vaccine supply chains with other health commodity supply chains: A framework |
English | English |
| Photo book | A moving warehouse delivers vaccines and essential health supplies in Senegal |
English | Francais | English | Francais |
2020 vision for vaccine supply and logistics systems
| Resource | Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Developing a vision for immunization supply systems in 2020: Landscape analysis summaries |
English | English |
| Report | Achieving the global vision for future vaccine supply and logistics systems: action plans |
English | English |
| YouTube video | Now is the time | English | |
| Journal article | The imperative for stronger vaccine supply and logistics systems | Journal |
Country reports
Optimize collaborated with national immunization programs in six countries to demonstrate innovative solutions to supply chain challenges. Detailed information on these demonstration projects can be found in the country-specific Optimize reports listed below.
| Title | PATH | WHO |
|---|---|---|
| Albania Report | English | English |
| Guatemala Report | English | Espagñol | English | Espagñol |
| Senegal Report | English | Francais | English | Francais |
| South Sudan Report | English | English |
| Tunisia Report | English | Francais | English | Francais |
| Vietnam Report | English | English |
Newsletters
The Op-ti-mize newsletter was a quarterly publication that highlighted advances and innovations in health care logistics, technologies, and policy - with a focus on immunization. An archive of every edition can be found on the PATH and WHO Optimize websites.