Dear Sir/Madam Wish to share that under the aegis of  IIHMR University, Jaipur, 05 days International training program on “Procurement and Supply Chain Management of Essential Medicines & In Vitro Diagnostics”  is scheduled from 26-30 August, 2019 at the IIHMR University Jaipur, India The objective of the training program is to provide technical guidance for establishing a robust procurement and supply chain framework for ensuring supply of good quality essential medicines and diagnostics Program Contents : - Managing selection of essential medicines and diagnostics  Selection criteria’s Significance of EML, EDL, STD and Formularies Quantification and Forecasting Methods of quantification  Procurement of essential medicines and diagnostics Strategic objectives of good pharmaceutical procurement How to formulate tender specifications Tender evaluation Selecting correct procurement type Selection of appropriate supplier Procurement laws and regulations Pooled procurement mechanism  Warehousing, Storage and Distribution Guidelines for good storage practices Receiving and arranging commodities Monitoring and evaluation of drug distribution system  Quality Assurance and Donation of medicines WHO Prequalification of Medicines Program (WHO PQP) Quality inspections-Sampling and survey process    Combating Not of standard drugs/spurious drugs National guidelines on donation of medicines Max-Min Inventory control Types of Inventory control systems  Logistic Management Information System (LMIS) Types of Logistics records and their significance Rational use of drugs Role of drugs and therapeutics committee Diagnosis, prescribing, dispensing and patient adherence Pricing and sustainable financing Donor funding and pricing mechanism Monitoring and evaluation of supply chain Indicators for M&E of supply chains Policy and legal framework for procurement and supply chain National medicines policy Hands on training on Noninvasive techniques and rapid detection techniques for determining drug quality (Raman handheld spectroscopy) Field visit to drug warehouse    PROGRAMME FEE         For Indian participants                : Rs 37,500 per participant plus 18% GST For Foreign participants             : USD 700 per participant plus 18% GST The fees cover tuition fees, training material, stay in air-conditioning room (twin-sharing basis), breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea/coffee during the program and pick-up and drop from Jaipur airport/railway station/bus stand. Welcome dinner and short-trip to historical and cultural importance places in Jaipur would be offered by the University in honor of the participants. Participants would be encouraged to use library facilities. Around the clock internet facility (Wi-Fi) is available for the participants. The travel tickets from the country of origin to Jaipur and vice versa are to be borne by the participant/sponsoring agency. DISCOUNTS ON THE FEE Early Bird Discount: Nominations received with payments on/before 4-weeks (29th July 2019) will be entitled to an early bird discount of 10%. Group Discount: Any organization sponsoring four or more participants to the program will be entitled for a discount of 20% on the total fee payable provided that at least four participants attend the program. Maximum Discount: Organization can avail themselves of both the discount subject to maximum discount of 20%. I am sure that you will find it useful for the organization/national health system program. I would be grateful, if you could participate/nominate interested candidates in the training program. You may forward to concerned department also Kindly send the interest to the program coordinator at saurabh@iihmr.edu.in   Looking forward for your kind cooperation and support to make the program success. A word of response would be appreciated. Regards   Dr.Saurabh kumar Banerjee  M.Pharm, Ph.D., MBA Associate  Professor and Program Coordinator The IIHMR University, 1 Prabhu Dayal Marg, Near Sanganer Airport Jaipur (Pin-302029), Rajasthan, INDIA Office: +91 141 3924700, Ext: 789,  Mobile +91-8890398067 Email: saurabh@iihmr.edu.in

So, where are we now? More than a year has passed since the last TechNet-21 meeting! We have a year ahead of us before the next meeting! As time races by, I feel the need to know more about progress that is being made with the many new initiatives that were described by countries and organisations towards scaling up for maximum impact in the shortest time. Presentations in 2017 focused on demonstrations and pilot projects designed to advance the science of cold chain technologies, monitoring and evaluation techniques. Compared to the flourish of innovations reported from most regions, the process of scale-up to national implementation and evolution of global policy seems slow. In the face of expanding demand to introduce more vaccines and to extend immunization services, we need to hear about scale-up and widespred adoption of the most robust and successful iniatives reported in the TechNet-21 sessions in Portugal last October.

Dear viewers, As announced earlier in August 2018, the author with the help of his team could realize his dream and celebrated “EuVac Baby Award Ceremony” today in KVG Medical College Hospital. Dr KV Chidananda, Medical Director, iterated that parents have very crucial role in getting their children vaccinated timely and completely. Many parents are vaccinating their children more close to the schedule than in the previous decades. This is a welcome step, depicting more awareness among the beneficiaries. He profusley thanked Dr Subramanya Taluk, Health Officer, and Dr Bhanumathi, AMO of CHC Sullia, all the Jr Health Assistants female, AWWs, ASHAs from the Government who brought the eligible beneficiaries from their respective area for the celebration and made it more jubilant. He congratulated all the parents. He felicitated the Vaccination team of the college providing world class services and supporting the government in implementing RI programme. All the three attached PHCs will cross 90% vaccination coverage before 2018, and the college will help in sustaining the high coverage.  Parents were greeted with warmth, they were provided a small gift (a tumbler and a spoon), and a certificate of appreciation. Laasya - the Indexed baby - was specially honored.  Please find the attached one page depicting the glimpses of the celebration with photos. We heartily wish you a happy reading. Holla and the team      

Dear viewers, On behalf of the KVG team, I wish to share the PPT on Eu-Vac Baby presented during the regular Academic Society Meeting today. Laasya, D/O Chaitra C.G is the indexed Eu-Vaccinee who timely graduated as a fully immunized child (FIC) before first birthday and “complete” immunization in the 17th month. As agreed among local stakeholders, babies and their parents will receive the Eu-Vac Baby award next 14th Nov 2018, which is “Children’s day” in India, hoping for a successful public health-related event. This is made possible thanks to the revised design of the vaccination card in the integrated “Thayicard” – the HBR of Govt of Karnataka and the Combocard –, and the Vaccination+ card of KVG Medical College & Hospital Sullia that was issued to the parents at the time of discharge. If all the private birthing facilities providing vaccination services would use this example as a good practise, the population immunity gap will shrink, helping the country and the world to achieve goals and objectives of Routine Immunization [RI] programmes well in advance. I sincerely thank all the parents, especially the dedicated mothers who are bringing their children precisely on the stipulated due date or very close to the schedule date, vaccinators [Staff nurses] of the vaccination clinic for their dedicated services & my colleagues who edited the PPT, HOD who moderated the session. With regards, the KVG Team

Dear Colleagues, Empower is organizing the International Workshop on Scientific Writing, scheduled from 17th to 21st October 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand.  The overall aim of this workshop is to develop the skills of the professionals in conceptualizing, writing and publishing high-quality manuscripts in peer-reviewed international and national journals.  In addition, participants will learn the publication process from a journal editor's perspective, including the selection of best journal for their paper.  Key Objectives: Acquire the skills necessary to develop, write, and publish a scientific manuscript; Discuss the all-important sections of a manuscript (both qualitative and quantitative) including abstract, writing a cover letter, and final submission Describe ethics in scientific publishing and writing Learn how to use mentoring and peer-review to improve a scientific manuscript  Identify the publishing process, including learning about why manuscripts get accepted/rejected and how to effectively respond to reviewers' comments The training fee payable is USD 2500, which includes: One week face-to-face training in Bangkok Certificate from Empower School of Health Resources, course material, and workshop kit Accommodation for the duration of the workshop Breakfast, lunch, tea + snacks during the workshop Three months of virtual mentorship Does not include: airfare, visa fee or other travel expenses SCHOLARSHIP available for Empower Alumni - 50% on Workshop Tuition Fee Click here to know more and fill in the Application Form - goo.gl/Dqvb5R Please feel free to connect with us in case you have any specific questions. Regards --  Ms. Kavya RS  |  Training & Education Coordinator  |  Empower School of Health |  New Delhi . New York  | SkypeID : empower.schoolofhealth  |  +91.95.99.83.50.01 (India) | info@empowerschoolofhealth.org |  www.empowerschoolofhealth.org

Dear Colleagues, Greetings from Empower! We would like to share with you the details of our upcoming 2nd International Workshop on Global Health Procurement and Supply Chain in Conflict and Fragile States, scheduled from 22-25 October in Dubai, UAE.  Key objectives of the workshop:  To provide participants with a clear understanding of the critical need to use a risk management based approach, with identification and categorization of the key risk factors, and then how planning can be instigated so that priority risks can be mitigated.  To provide participants with an overview of the PSM policies, strategies and processes that address both humanitarian and health supply chain and how they can blend as countries transition out of a conflict. To help participants develop an understanding and identification of the vulnerable population groups, changing morbidity and mortality patterns during conflicts, and seek to align such factors with changing product selection and quantification activities. We will have professionals from various UN agencies, Ministries of Health, International NGOs and private sector attending this workshop. PFA the brochure for the workshop. The training fee payable is USD 2500, this includes:  Four days of face-to-face training in Dubai Resources, course material, and workshop kit  Lunch, tea, and snacks during the workshop sessions  Local transportation for field visits  One year of technical assistance  Certificate from Empower  Does not include: accommodation, airfare, health insurance, visa fees, or other travel expenses  For more details and for Registration -  goo.gl/KnB5fA Newsletter for the previous Workshop -  goo.gl/ZC8SmD Feel free to contact us for any queries you may have.   Regards --  Ms. Kavya RS  |  Training & Education Coordinator  |  Empower School of Health |  New Delhi . New York  | SkypeID : empower.schoolofhealth  |  +91.95.99.83.50.01 (India) | info@empowerschoolofhealth.org |  www.empowerschoolofhealth.org     "Empowering lives by promoting universal access to health and education"        Connect with Empower

Dear Colleagues,

The 14th Batch of the Post Graduate Diploma Course in Global Health Procurement and Supply Chain Management is scheduled to launch in September 2018. This is an 11-month ONLINE program wherein there are 9 modules. The course is structured to address one topic area per month for 8 months, starting with a module on introduction to PSM and ending with PSM support functions and systems. Each module is supported by Assignments, MCQ's and Assessments. The course ends with a final assessment which will cover all the modules. You will be provided with a direct line of contact to with Course Administrator as well as the faculty, who will guide you through the obstacles if any.
Please find attached the Course Structure of the Program, this will help you understand how beneficial the course is for you. Key takeaway's from the course - its global orientation - sharing of experiences from across countries,
- a practical and applied approach to the extensive use of exercises, case studies, projects and internships
- technical assistance for one-year offered which includes - mentoring/Coaching from the Subject Matter Experts
- Competency Assessment Tool
- a community of Practice (through Empower’s Big Learning Platform)
- a special focus on improving students’ personal effectiveness by building workplace skills,
- use of cutting-edge e-Learning technologies and instructional design to make learning easy and impactful Kindly click on this link and fill in the application form - https://goo.gl/7QpHg2 Regards  --  Ms. Kavya RS  |  Training & Education Coordinator  |  Empower School of Health |  New Delhi . New York  | SkypeID : empower.schoolofhealth  |  +91.95.99.83.50.01 (India) | info@empowerschoolofhealth.org |  www.empowerschoolofhealth.org

Dear Colleagues,   Empower is pleased to announce the International Workshop and Coaching on Strategic Leadership and Management, scheduled from 9-11 October 2018 in Accra, Ghana. It’s a 3 day, in-person workshop with 6 months of mentorship and coaching. This Global Health Leadership Program is being organised by Empower, in collaboration with John A. Kufuor Foundation and INSEAD Humanitarian Research Group. The program includes a keynote address by H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor, the former President of Ghana.   The goal of the program is to realize your leadership and management potential. The seven-month leadership program will amplify your natural leadership traits, identify and address your ‘blind spots’, and provide coaching and mentoring to enhance your leadership and management styles.   The workshop will accelerate your personal and professional transformation by combining a self-assessment, followed by 3 days of in-person sessions, and then 6 months of mentorship and coaching. Our approach is an innovative and pragmatic mix of sessions that include foundational skills in management and leadership, with case-based, and field-based learning, and other experiential learning techniques, including seminars, interactive discussions, one-to-one personal coaching and group exercises.   The advisors, speakers, facilitators, coaches, and mentors are a mix of the head of state, politicians, CEOs and academics from the public, private and civil society sectors.   Course fee: USD 2,500 + USD 1,500 (optional mentoring and coaching) which includes: 3 days face-to-face workshop in Accra, Ghana Resources, course material, and workshop kit Breakfast, lunch, tea & snacks during the workshop days Certificate of attendance Mentoring and coaching: Once a month over 6 months Does not include: Airfare, accommodation, insurance, visa fees or other travel expenses To apply, please click here: goo.gl/zD2DTb   For any queries, feel free to reach out to us at training@empowerschoolofhealth.org   Regards Ms. Kavya RS  |  Training & Education Coordinator  |  Empower School of Health |  New Delhi . New York  | SkypeID : empower.schoolofhealth  |  +91.95.99.83.50.01 (India) | info@empowerschoolofhealth.org |  www.empowerschoolofhealth.org

Dear Colleagues,   Empower is organizing the International Workshop on Scientific Writing, scheduled from 17th to 21st October 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand.    The overall aim of this workshop is to develop the skills of the professionals in conceptualizing, writing and publishing high-quality manuscripts in peer-reviewed international and national journals.  In addition, participants will learn the publication process from a journal editor's perspective, including the selection of best journal for their paper. 
  Key Objectives: Acquire the skills necessary to develop, write, and publish a scientific manuscript; Discuss the all-important sections of a manuscript (both qualitative and quantitative) including abstract, writing a cover letter, and final submission Describe ethics in scientific publishing and writing Learn how to use mentoring and peer-review to improve a scientific manuscript  Identify the publishing process, including learning about why manuscripts get accepted/rejected and how to effectively respond to reviewers' comments The training fee payable is USD 2500, which includes: One week face-to-face training in Bangkok Certificate from Empower School of Health Resources, course material, and workshop kit Accommodation for the duration of the workshop Breakfast, lunch, tea + snacks during the workshop Three months of virtual mentorship Does not include: airfare, visa fee or other travel expenses Click here to know more and fill in the Application Form - goo.gl/Dqvb5R   Please feel free to connect with us in case you have any specific questions.   Regards Ms. Kavya RS  |  Training & Education Coordinator  |  Empower School of Health |  New Delhi . New York  | SkypeID : empower.schoolofhealth  |  +91.95.99.83.50.01 (India) | info@empowerschoolofhealth.org |  www.empowerschoolofhealth.org

Empower is organizing the 2nd International Workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health Programs, scheduled from 05th– 13th September 2018 in Hotel The Grand, New Delhi, India. The eight-day residential workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health Programs will provide the platform for state of the art tools and techniques.



By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

- develop monitoring and evaluation plans by applying knowledge and skills gained throughout the workshop

- train professionals working in various health programs on basic concepts and practical approaches towards effective programmatic monitoring and evaluation

- formulate a framework (result/logical/conceptual) on how the program or intervention will lead to specific health outcomes and impact.

- discuss programmatic applications of the main tools and data systems used to monitor and evaluate health programs

- review the various evaluation designs and estimation techniques used for evaluating various health programs

- use this platform to share and learn from other country experiences to strengthen their M&E systems




Some of the important topics of the workshop are:

- Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation

- Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Plans

- Frameworks and Indicators; Data/Information Sources & Systems (including surveillance, surveys, and HMIS)

- Routine and Non-Routine Information Systems

- Tools used in M&E including PRISM tools, DQA tool, DDIU tool

- Evaluation Designs and Operations Research

- Gender Integration into M&E

- Data Demand and Use for Decision-Making

- Decision-Making and Strategic Information

- Mapping and Population Size Estimation



This workshop targets health professionals from different health programmes either at the national or provincial/ state as well as district level, development partners at the national level; NGO and donor personnel responsible for oversight of health programs, especially in the areas of reporting, monitoring and evaluation.



COURSE FEE: US$ 3200, which includes:

- 8-day face-to-face workshop in Delhi

- Resources, course material, and workshop kit

- Accommodation for the duration of the workshop (10 nights) at Hotel The Grand, New Delhi

- Breakfast, lunch, tea, and snacks during the workshop sessions

- Airport transfers and local transportation for field visits

- Certificate from Empower School of Health 

- One-year of technical assistance 

- Does not include – airfare, health insurance, visa fees, dinner or other travel expenses


National and International facilitators with rich experience of training in M&E, Impact Evaluation, Routine Health Information Systems will be conducting the sessions.

Please feel free to email us at training@empowerschoolofhealth.org and let us know if you need any other assistance.   Click Here to apply now - https://goo.gl/3B6joR

Regards

-- 
Ms. Kavya RS | Training & Education Coordinator | Empower School of Health

Dear TechNet-21 Colleagues, WHO PQS will be engaging with a selected group of PQS product manufacturers on Tuesday, July 10th to discuss and agree on a path forward for some significant proposed changes to immunization cold chain equipment standards. Although this is a closed event, the PQS Team and TechNet-21 are partnering to bring you exclusive insights from the meeting and I will be guest tweeting from the TechNet-21 Twitter account, sharing highlights and pictures from this first-of-its-kind event. All you have to do is follow the TechNet-21 Twitter account and check it on Tuesday, July 10th. If you don’t already follow TechNet-21 on Twitter (@TechNet21Mod) this is a great opportunity to start doing so! Looking forward to your virtual participation! Best wishes, Denise, on behalf of the PQS Team

Empower is organizing the third International Workshop and Study Tour on Ensuring Universal Health Coverage by Promoting Access to Life-Saving Medicines in Geneva, Switzerland scheduled from 20th to 24th August 2018. It’s a 5-day workshop and our participants will be public health professionals, program officers, supply chain professionals from various Ministries of Health, UN agencies, donor agencies, private and civil society organizations. The Key Topics to be covered during the workshop are Universal Health Coverage, Access to Medicines, Key Components of PSM, Supply Chain - Levels of Maturity, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Sciences. This workshop will share with the participants how leading global health stakeholders are supporting the Universal Health Coverage agenda with the focus on access to essential medicines. The overall objectives of the Workshop are: Interact with and learn from global health leaders from WHO, Global Fund, UNDP, Red Cross, GAVI, Stop TB and many more. Recognize the role and structure of leading global health organizations in promoting Universal Health Coverage Identify the key concepts of access to medicines and relationship with Universal Health Coverage Learn about improvements and innovation in access to new medicines Achieve personal growth in terms of leadership and management skills linked with global policies translated into local actions This workshop is targeted at professionals in public health programs (donors, government, the private sector, NGOs, civil society, academia) and people interested in global health procurement and supply chain/logistics and universal health coverage.  Course fees: US$ 2500 which includes: One week face-to-face training in Geneva + two weeks preparatory work Certificate from Empower Swiss Local transportation for field visits Technical assistance for one year Does not include – international travel, airport transfers, food and accommodation   To apply, please Click Here Registration deadline: 5th August 2018 Please feel free to contact us for any further queries or information - training@empowerschoolofhealth.org

The World Health Organization Global Routine Immunization Strategies and Practices (GRISP) course team invites you to join our digital (online) Commencement Event to recognize the work and celebrate the achievement of the WHO GRISP Scholars Date: 12 December 2017 Time: 14h00 (2 PM) UTC+1 Geneva (check time) Registration: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/6845807171822769665 Training ID: 502-385-612 Contact: grisp@learning.foundation During this event: Commencement speakers will address course participants to recognize their work and achievement GRISP Scholar participants will present the action planning they have developed to implement a GRISP transformative investment in their country. Participants will also share their experience and insights gained from connecting with EPI colleagues from over 30 countries through intense dialogue and peer review. You are encouraged to download the invitation and share it with your colleagues and professional networks. This WHO digital course used the Scholar Approach, developed by the University of Illinois College of Education and the Geneva Learning Foundation to support effective learning for global health and humanitarian work. This approach combines community of practice, knowledge co-construction, and peer review to support project-based learning. It was first piloted in 2016 by WHO to support country-level action planning based on the Global Routine Immunization Strategies and Practices (GRISP) guidelines. The GRISP Scholar course will be offered in French in the first quarter of 2018.  

Organizers of the upcoming special issue of Vaccine focused entirely on the immunization supply chain cordially invite you to the upcoming 10th Annual Vaccine Congress—where experts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will discuss why supply chain performance matters to public health.
To attend the congress, which runs 4−7 September 2016 in Amsterdam, please visit: http://www.vaccinecongress.com/.
More information on the panel discussion is available below.
Event overview
The panel discussion entitled “No Products, No Programs: Why Vaccine Supply Chains Matter” will engage conference attendees on the linkages between immunization supply chain (iSC) performance and programmatic success in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Importantly, the conversation will underscore how iSC improvements are critical to LMICs achieving coverage and equity targets established by the WHO Global Vaccine Action Plan and the broader Sustainable Development Goals. Within this context, the audience will learn why supply chain performance matters to public health—and why curating a special issue of Vaccine on the range of potential policy, financial, technology, and personnel solutions for improving the immunization supply chain is relevant to stakeholders and colleagues across the entire vaccine development, access, and delivery value chain.
Event Goals
Conference attendees will leave the talk with a greater understanding of:

The limitations and new obstacles impacting iSC performance in LMICs.
The relationship between a poor performing iSC and gaps in immunization coverage and equity.
Why iSC improvements are relevant to stakeholders and colleagues across the entire vaccine development, access, and delivery value chain.
How a range of technology, policy, system design, and personnel solutions could both optimize and extend iSC service delivery, and therefore form the next-generation iSC.
The role(s) the Vaccine special issue will play in helping to elevate evidence-based performance improvements onto the priority agendas of global, regional, and country-level stakeholders and partners.

Dear Colleagues, If you are not able to participate in the meeting, it is possible to access the live streaming of the plenary sessions (08:30-12:30). http://alquiler-traduccion-simultanea-barcelona.com/melia2014/ The agenda for the meeting is available at this link: http://www.who.int/immunization/20150622_GIM-PIA_Meeting-Agenda.pdf The GIM PIA committee.

If the answer is “Yes”, you are in luck. Most of the plenary sessions were streamed live and are now available to watch online. For a full list of video recordings, as well as accompanying slides and posters, please refer to this page: www.technet-21.org/home/about/tc2015 The resources on this page are divided into the following categories: Keynote presentations (presentations given on May 11, 2015) Designing the supply chain (presentations given onMay 12, 2015) Equipping the supply chain (presentations given onMay 13, 2015) Managing the supply chain (presentations given onMay 14, 2015) Enabling the supply chain (presentations given onMay 15, 2015) For more details about the other events that took place, refer to the Conference Guide: www.technet-21.org/images/TC2015/TC2015_Conference_Guide.pdf Enjoy!

Please find below links to recordings of plenary presentations that took place on Wednesday, May 13 2015 at theTechNet Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. These are available for viewing on the USTREAM website. Many thanks and I hope that you find these presentations interesting and useful. Please accept my apologies for the occasional lack of sound or other interruption at some points. Global updates: Cold chain equipment, maintenance and temperature monitoring systems WHO PQS and prequalification of cold chain equipment, technologies and devices for immunization, Denis Maire (WHO)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626214 Lastest from UNICEF SD on cold chain equipment, technologies and support package, Dereje Haile (UNICEF)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626215 Temperature monitoring evidence, strategies, technologies and practices - Where do we go from here? Benjamin Schreiber (UNICEF)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626216 Country innovations: Extending the reach of vaccines with CCE and other innovations Senegal - Using long holdover passive storage devices at the last mile , Khadidiatou Gomis (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626217 Vietnam -Using solar direct drive CCE: the needs, success and challenges, Nguyen Van Cuong (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626218 Togo - Implementing a controlled temperature chain (CTC) approach during a Meningitis A vaccine campaign, Dadja Essoya Landoh (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626219 Moderated Q&A: Equipping the system, Pat Lennon (PATH)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62205057/highlight/626220 Country innovations: Protecting vaccines with continuous temperature monitoring during storage and transport Lao PDR - Implementing a temperature monitoring strategy with 30 day temperature recorders (30 DTR) - opportunities and challenges, Kongxay Phounphen ghack (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62207409/highlight/626226 Mozambique - Innovations in cold chain temperature monitoring, Ruth Bechtel (VillageReach)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62207409/highlight/626227 Turkey - Innovative approach for end-to-end temperature monitoring of the vaccine cold chain, Tarkan Yamanoglu (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62208338/highlight/626229 Moderated Q&A: Equipping the system, Benjamin Schreiber (UNICEF)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62208338/highlight/626230

Please find below links to recordings of plenary presentations that took place on Tuesday, May 12 2015 at theTechNet Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. These are available for viewing on the USTREAM website. Many thanks and I hope that you find these presentations interesting and useful. Please accept my apologies for the occasional lack of sound or other interruption at some points. Global updates: Network design, system optimization and vaccine management best practice Ensuring the basics are fixed: Vaccine management best practice, Diana Chang-Blanc (WHO)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62170483/highlight/626188 Network design and optimization, Ryan McWhorter (UNICEF)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62170483/highlight/626189 Country innovations: Designing for the future and rethinking morefundamental design elements Mozambique - Network optimization modelling to prepare for new vaccine introduction, Ruth Bechtel (Village Reach)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62171452/highlight/626190 Ethiopia - Network optimization for transport to deter mine resource requirements and shorten distribution pipeline, Henok Benti (JSI)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62171452/highlight/626191 Benin - Modelling and moving warehouse, Philippe Jaillard (AMP)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62171452/highlight/626192 Moderated Q&A: Designing the system, Jeff Sanderson (JSI)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62171452/highlight/626193 Country innovations: Fixing the basics by strengthening vaccine management policies and practices Thailand - Experience from streamlining the network design for vaccines by outsourcing to the private sector, Netnapis Suchonwanich (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62173382/highlight/626195 Myanmar - Immunization supply chain challenges in a r esource constraint country and during a mass MR campaign, Kyaw Kan Kaung (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62173382/highlight/626196 Uganda - Lessons learned from supply chain integration and improving vaccine management using the EVM approach, William Musubire (Ministry of Health)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62173382/highlight/626197 Somalia - Immunization supply chain challenges in a fragile state and lessons learned, Douglas Mukwaya (UNICEF Somalia)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62173382/highlight/626199 Moderated Q&A: Designing the system, Jeff Sanderson (JSI)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/62173382/highlight/626201

If you are not attending this year’s TechNet Conference, you can still participate by watching presentations and submitting questions online. All plenary presentations, as well as the fornal opening ceremony, will be streamed live on the TechNet Conference 2015 channel of the USTREAM website. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/technet-21 Presentations are listed under “Upcoming shows” and you can set reminders to be notified when the presentations begin. During the presentations, you can ask questions by using the Chat feature to the right of the screen. You can submit questions anonymously or with a USTREAM or Facebook account. Once presentations have finished, they can be watched on the USTREAM website at any point. French translations of plenary presentations will also be made available for viewing at the end of the presentation. In addition to watching USTREAM shows on the website, you can also watch on mobile devices by downloading the USTREAM app for Android or iOS devices. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.ustream.ustream https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ustream/id301520250 Please note that you will not be able to watch live streams with USTREAM if you are behind a firewall that does not permit live streaming (we have encountered problems at WHO HQ due to firewall restrictions). If you encounter other issues watching live streams with USTREAM, please refer to the USTREAM troubleshooting website: https://ustream.zendesk.com/entries/22546906-Viewing-troubleshooting-steps For other technical queries related to the TechNet-21 channel on USTREAM, please contact the TechNet Administrator (administrator@technet-21.org).

Many thanks to all of you that completed the pre-registration for the 14th TechNet Conference to indicate your interest in participating. The pre-registration closed on March 31st. We didn’t anticipate the unprecedented level of interest in this year's conference (more than 360 people pre-registered). As a result, and in light of size restrictions at the host venue, we have unfortunately been unable to invite everyone who pre-registered. We have therefore needed to make some difficult decisions on who can participate this time around. We have prioritized participation on the basis of criteria such as likely contribution to the conference and the need to ensure a balanced representation of participant profile, expertise and affiliation (countries, regions, international organizations, NGOs, expert consultants, academia, donors and private sector). We would like to apologise to those who were not selected, and we hope you will still participate in the conference online. All plenary presentations will be streamed live on the TechNet-21.org website and will be available for viewing immediately afterwards. Online viewers will also be able to participate in plenary presentations by submitting questions to the presenters online. More information on the live streaming and online question submission will be available soon. In the meantime, we are still working out the final details of the agenda, but we are excited to announce that in addition to the formal agenda, this year’s conference will host: More than 40 posters will be displayed in the Project Gallery. At least 10 innovations will be showcased as part of the Innovations Cafe. More than 20 companies will participate in the Manufacturers Marketplace to display their latest cold chain and related technologies. We recommend that all conference participants join the TC2015 Participants group on the TechNet-21.org website. This will enable you to keep up to date with the latest conference news, agenda updates, and other event details. You will also be able to ask questions and share conference resources with other participants. Note that you need to have a TechNet-21 account to join this group. We look forward to welcoming both in-person and online participants to the 14th TechNet Conference next month!

Registration is now open for the 14th TechNet Conference, which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand between May 11-15, 2015. If you wish to participate in the Conference, please complete the online registration here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/technet15 The size of the conference is limited and we will therefore need to prioritize participation on the basis of participant contribution to the conference. We will also give preference to those who indicate their interest in participating as early as possible. All applications must be submitted by Friday 31 March. After this date we can no longer consider participation. The conference venue will be shared very shortly, along with other relevant information. There is no fee for attending the TechNet Conference and lunches and coffee breaks will be provided. However, travel and accommodation expenses will be the responsibility of participants. For further information, please contact the TechNet Conference Planning Committee (tc2015@technet-21.org).

The 14th TechNet Conference will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from 11-15 May, 2015. The theme will be: “Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics: Current Challenges, Innovations and Future Prospects”. Are you interested in showcasing any of your projects or other work in immunization logistics at the TechNet Conference? If the answer is yes, please read on. An important part of the TechNet Conference is the “Project Gallery”, a space for key immunization partners to showcase their work in immunization supply chain and logistics through scheduled poster presentations. A dedicated space will be made available for this purpose at the next TechNet Conference, and we are particularly interested in posters relating to the following topics: • Vaccine products and delivery technologies • Vaccine and equipment procurement and forecasting • Network design and supply chain optimization • Human resources for logistics • Vaccine management policies and practice • Cold chain equipment & maintenance systems • Temperature monitoring in the cold chain • Distribution and transportation systems • LMIS and data for management This RFI is to enquire whether you would be interested in presenting a poster as part of the Project Gallery at the next TechNet Conference. If you are interested, please complete the attached RFI template and send it to Denise Habimana (dhabimana-external-consultant@gavi.org) before Friday 6 March. Once all responses have been received, the TechNet Conference Planning Committee will review the proposals and finalise the list of poster sessions by Friday 20 March. If your proposal is accepted, a formal Letter of Invitation to participate in the “Project Gallery” will be issued. Please note that, while the World Health Organization will cover the cost of the exhibition space for the Project Gallery, all other costs, such as accommodation and transport, as well as the development, printing, and transport of posters, will be the responsibility of the participating partner. More details on the TechNet Conference can be found on the TechNet Conference 2015 event page. Further information will be published on the http://www.TechNet-21.org website in the coming weeks. For enquires relating to the Project Gallery, please contact Denise Habimana (dhabimana-external-consultant@gavi.org). For all other inquiries relating to the TechNet Conference, please email tc2015@technet-21.org.

The 14th TechNet Conference will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from 11-15 May, 2015. The theme will be: “Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics: Current Challenges, Innovations and Future Prospects”. If you are a vaccine or cold chain equipment manufacturer, are you interested in showcasing any of your latest products and technologies during the TechNet Conference? If the answer is yes, please read on. An integral part of the TechNet Conference is the “Manufacturers Marketplace”, a dedicated space for private companies and other organizations to showcase new products and innovative technologies relating to vaccine products, delivery technologies and cold chain equipment. At the previous TechNet Conference in 2013 in Dakar, Senegal, 22 manufacturers (15 private-sector companies and 7 non-profit or government sector organizations) showcased their products or technologies, exhibiting products such as refrigerators and freezers, cold boxes and carriers, continuous temperature monitoring devices, and mobile technologies for stock management. Photos from the event are included below. View the Report on the 2013 TechNet Consultation. This RFI is to enquire whether you would be interested in participating in the Manufacturers Marketplace at the next TechNet Conference. If you are interested, please complete the attached RFI template and send it to Dan Brigden (brigdend@who.int) before Friday 6 March. Be sure to include a brief summary of the products and/or technologies you wish to showcase, as well as an indication of how much space you will need and any other pertinent requirements you may have. Once all responses have been received, the TechNet Conference Planning Committee will review the proposals and finalise the list of participating manufacturers by Friday 20 March. If your proposal is accepted, a formal Letter of Invitation to participate in the Manufacturers Marketplace will then be issued. Please note that, while the World Health Organization will cover the cost of the exhibition space for the Manufacturers Marketplace, all other costs, such as accommodation and transport, will be the responsibility of the participating manufacturer. More details on the TechNet Conference can be found on the TechNet Conference 2015 event page. For specific enquires relating to the Manufacturers Marketplace, please contact Dan Brigden (brigdend@who.int). For all other inquiries relating to the TechNet Conference, please email tc2015@technet-21.org.

On 11, 12 and 13 November, 95 representatives from diverse organizations and countries met in Istanbul to share experiences with the use of information technology to strengthen immunization programs. More than 30 systems, tools, projects, and country experiences were presented and discussed in 4 breakout sessions. These were dedicated to reporting systems, logistics management information systems, electronic immunization registries, and novel technologies such as geographical information systems and the use of mobile devices. While these sessions showed a lot of progress and even more potential in this area, challenges remain to scale up the use of appropriate technologies in the lowest income countries and sustain improvements. Country representatives called upon partners to work towards shared national priorities in the countries they worked in, rather than placing their own agendas first. Participants also agreed that updated guidance is needed around data standards, the use of data for decision making, and the use of information systems including new technologies. Four subgroups then discussed the kind of guidance that would be useful in the areas of program performance monitoring, data for supply chain management, electronic immunization registries, and barriers towards integration and interoperability. In the coming months, WHO will take the lead to further develop guidance in all these domains in consultation with partners. For further discussion and all the presentations and background material, please join the group on immunization information systems on TechNet-21. http://www.technet-21.org/index.php?option=com_community&view=groups&task=viewgroup&groupid=22 A report will be made available shortly. Thanks to all who attended or contributed in any other way.

The UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities is excited to announce "Your South-to-South Network: Resources for Public Health Supply Chains" to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 19-20, 2014 immediately following the Global Health Supply Chain (GHSC) Summit. The workshops will highlight tools and resources to improve public health supply chains created by the UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities’ Supply & Local Markets Technical Resource Team with special focus on quantification, data management, and private sector engagement. For more information, please visit the conference website: http://slctrt.wix.com/your-stos-network

Passing on this information from Bassok, Yehuda (bassok@marshall.usc.edu) The conference will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark November 17-19, 2014 UN-City Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. The Theme for 2014 is: Transforming Global Health Supply Chains for Improved Health Outcomes: Incentive alignment, outsourcing, partnerships, and performance measurement The Center for Health Education and Applied Research (CHEAR) is excited to announce the 7th Global Health Supply Chain Summit (GHSCS) to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 17-19, 2014. The summit will focus on transforming global health supply chains, covering in particular incentive alignment, outsourcing partnerships and performance measurement. It will assemble a collection of practitioners and experts in the field to explore these topics: academics, country planners, NGOs, logistics practitioners, pharmaceutical industry and donor representatives. The schedule includes two days of presentations and discussions and one day of training focusing on relevant best practice tools in supply chain management. Attendees will thus get access to both best practice results as well as “how-to” ideas for implementation in their respective contexts. With the emergence of smartphones and other technologies across Africa, novel schemes to collect and transmit data to monitor the performance of different entities, understand disease spread, remote diagnosis, mobile health, and tracking pharmaceutical fidelity are becoming available at lower costs. Along with shifting macroeconomic and epidemiological trends, these opportunities motivate in-depth explorations of how global health supply chains should evolve in order to best support access to health. Particularly relevant topics include optimal relationships and allocation of functions between stakeholders (both public and private), design of incentives, measurement and management of performance, impact on health outcomes and field assessment of new technologies, and others. In this context, the summit will provide a unique venue for reviewing and discussing multiple perspectives on the latest evidence, research and best practices relating to all ongoing transformations of global health supply chains.

The next Global TechNet Consultation is planned for May 2015. The specific dates and location of the Consultation will be confirmed soon, but but the Consultation will be held in South-East Asia. We will release more details in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! The next TechNet Consultation will have a focus theme on “Immunization Supply Chains – Current Challenges and Future Prospects” and will be co-organized by WHO and UNICEF with funding support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We are collecting ideas for the agenda so if you have proposals to make, please share these as forum postings. For those of you less familiar with this biennium event, the TechNet Consultation enables practitioners in the field and immunization professionals to meet and discuss the latest developments in immunization practices and policy. It also facilitates the exchange of field experiences and identifies areas that require further investigation. The conference gathers together key stakeholders in immunization programmes from around the world: managers of national immunization programmes, staff members from WHO and UNICEF, vaccine and cold chain equipment manufacturers, representatives from public health agencies, development partners, and independent experts. The first TechNet Consultation was held in Nicosia, Cyprus in March 1990. Since then, TechNet Consultations have been held approximately every 18 months in different locations around the world. The most recent TechNet Consultation was held in Dakar, Senegal in February 2013. Two hundred delegates attended the conference, where presentations were given on a wide range of subjects. The 2013 Final Meeting Report is attached.

Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Regional Institute of Public Health (IRSP) are launching the third edition of the bachelor’s degree in Health Logistics (LPLS) for the 2014-2015 academic year. This innovative, year-long course has been designed to meet the growing needs of health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, which suffer from a lack of skilled and motivated professionals for managing the health-input supply chain. It has been observed that the impact of large-scale public health programs is limited by the inadequate logistical capacity of health systems. As a result, technical and financial partners, in collaboration with partner countries, have been keen to professionalise health logistics, thus providing frequent job opportunities. The importance of the training program is acknowledged by several partners – including WHO, UNICEF, the bilateral cooperation missions and pharmaceutical companies –which offer scholarships to partner countries that demonstrate the need to train future health logisticians. GAVI-eligible countries may also attract funding for training their applicants as part of the grants for health system strengthening. Applicants who are accepted for this third edition of the LPLS will join the community of practice for health logisticians, whose importance has been recognised by the Ministers of Health for the Africa region and partners. A total of 25 to 30 students will be selected to take courses starting in November 2014, with the teaching content approved by a panel of university experts in health logistics from the public and private sectors, notably WHO and UNICEF. The training is conducted in french. For more information, contact logivac@aamp.org

Transforming Global Health Supply Chains for Improved Health Outcomes: Incentive alignment, outsourcing, partnerships, and performance measurement The 7th Global Health Supply Chain Summit (GHSCS) in Accra November 17 - 19, 2014 will focus on trends and developments on transforming health supply chains to achieve better health outcomes. The summit will explore emerging trends in better aligning incentives among the different entities in the supply chain and investigate new trends in out sourcing and partnership between public and private industry. The summit will also explore methods to measure the effectiveness of new trends on the performance of the health supply chains, and more specifically on health outcomes. Submission Guidelines To be considered for presentation at this workshop, please send an extended abstract of at most 1000 words to Prof. Yehuda Bassok (ybassok@gmail.com) by August 15, 2014. Details on content are in the document linked below.

Delegates from Member States, United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations in official relations with WHO are in Geneva to attend the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly that opens at the Palais des Nations at 09:30 on Monday, 19 May. Key agenda items for Health Assembly The World Health Assembly is WHO’s highest decision-making body and sets out the Organization’s policy and approves its Budget. Agenda issues for this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) include: Draft global strategy and targets for tuberculosis prevention, care and control Global vaccine action plan Hepatitis Maternal, infant and young child nutrition Monitoring of the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals Health in the post-2015 development agenda Read the Provisional Agenda for the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly. Address by Director-General The Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, will address delegates at 14:30 on Monday, 19 May. This will be followed by the general discussion on the theme: “The link between climate and health”. Keynote speakers The invited speakers for this year’s Health Assembly – Dr Christine Kaseba-Sata, First Lady of Zambia and WHO Goodwill Ambassador against gender-based violence, and Ms Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – will address the delegates on Tuesday, 22 May, at 14:30. Click here for complete documentation on the World Health Assembly.