PATH VIETNAM AND IMMREG Expanding Reach of the Immunization Registry in Vietnam

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Vietnam is a country with a high immunization coverage rate of 95%, using the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine as a key indicator of national immunization program performance.

However, the Vietnamese health system still relies on a paperbased system to administer, monitor, and report vaccines and immunization. This leads to a heavy workload burden on health workers and takes valuable time away from them to be able to spend caring for patients. It also leads to possible errors2

in data recording and reporting which can lead to problems such as vaccine stock outs and possibly a child missing a vaccine and contracting a preventable disease.

In 2012, PATH Vietnam began piloting the Digital Immunization Registry System (ImmReg) to address these challenges. ImmReg is a web-based application that can be accessed via a computer or mobile phone. Health workers can record and access immunization data in real time. Health managers at the local, district and provincial levels have been able to drastically save time generating reports and planning. ImmReg is also used to send reminders to caretakers via SMS to remind them to bring their child into a health center in order to receive a vaccination on time. PATH estimates that each year

the Vietnamese government can save USD 673,000 by switching from paper-based reminders sent to caretakers to SMS reminders. In addition to reducing workload burden, ImmReg has also improved accuracy in data recording. Most importantly, ImmReg has a direct effect in increasing on-time vaccination rates.

This case study explores how PATH was able to scale up the ImmReg program to nine districts and cover the entire province of Ben Tre, in the southeastern part of the country. Through the IWG grant program, PATH gained valuable lessons on how to obtain leadership support, help the government plan for expansion, raise awareness for its mission and integrate user feedback in order to scale ImmReg effectively. PATH’s experience and lessons are valuable as it continues to scale on a national level and for other nonprofits considering a similar strategy.