Dear colleagues, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is currently reviewing its programmatic policies, including those that focus on reducing barriers to increasing immunisation coverage. The review process will draw on lessons learned from the successes and challenges in implementing Gavi’s current policy.  In particular, Gavi is seeking country input to identify the major gender-related barriers to coverage and equity, to better understand how Gavi can best contribute to solving them. You can access the survey at the link below. Your feedback will inform the policy review process, and ultimately contribute to a decision by the Gavi Board in December 2019 on Gavi’s future strategy in relation to coverage and equity.  Survey in English Enquête en français Encuesta en español Oпрос на русском языке This survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will be available through 26 April 2019. Please feel free to forward to others in your team. We appreciate you making time to complete this survey and look forward to continuing to engage with you on this important topic. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at mmalarski@gavi.org. Best regards, Maya Malarski, on behalf of the Gavi Secretariat

The Gavi Secretariat has released a global  standards document for immunisation supply chain (iSC) information systems.  A hallmark of effective supply chains is end-to-end (E2E) visibility of supply and demand data that are used to make decisions and take effective action. For immunisation programmes, a critical success factor is access to accurate, complete and timely data on vaccine utilisation and distribution, the performance and deployment of cold chain equipment (CCE), and the routine use of this data to inform operations and management decisions. Growing demand for digital supply chain software solutions—often referred to as logistics management information systems (LMIS)—from Gavi-eligible countries has stimulated software developers and service providers, remote temperature monitoring device innovators, and refrigerator manufacturers to develop and test a variety of software and hardware products. However, the absence of a normative standard of features required of a LMIS has resulted in costly development of bespoke local solutions, and limited choice of off-the-shelf systems that are interoperable, extensible, and scalable. The purpose of the Target Software Standards for Vaccine Supply Chain Information Systems is to help guide the market of potential LMIS solution providers by defining normative standards for LMIS solutions adapted to the unique needs of immunisation supply chains in low and middle income countries. The objectives of this Target Software Standards (TSS) are to ensure countries have access to: Best-in-Class digital LMIS that meet the unique needs of the iSC and a country’s particular supply chain design and strategy; Choice in software hosting, administration, and value-added business intelligence services; A range of cost models that enable cost-benefit analysis of different solutions and sustainable total cost of ownership. While the TSS is focused on vaccines by incompassing cold chain equipment and temperature monitoring data, the standards can be applied to any other pharmaceutial product that requires an LMIS. Gavi has collaborated with The Global Fund and other development partners to ensure that the TSS supports essential medicines, programme products, and diagnostic supplies in the Global Health supply chain. Countries are encouraged to use the Target Software Standards when determining their LMIS needs and seeking off-the-shelf software, or in guiding upgrades to existing systems. Software suppiers are encouraged to use the TSS to inform their software development roadmap priorities to ensure their product supports the range of features called for in the TSS.  Download a copy of the Target Software Standards for Vaccine Supply Chain Information Systems.

Dear all, Did you know that there is a dedicated subsite on Immunization Supply Chain (iSC) strengthening on TechNet-21? In 2014, the Gavi Alliance partners developed the Gavi Immunization Supply Chains (iSC) Strategy around strengthening country immunization  supply chains, focusing on five fundamentals: Data for Management; System Design; Leadership; Cold Chain Equipment; and Continuous Improvement Plans.  The iSC subsite houses information, tools, and resources that can help country governments and implementing partners aiming to strengthen these five fundamentals. You can find guidance on implementing DISC indicators, system design optimization case studies, HR rapid assessments, and other practical tools and guidance documents.  Explore the site at: https://www.technet-21.org/iscstrengthening. Interested in contributing to the subsite? You can find guidance on the iSC topics page here: https://www.technet-21.org/en/topics/isc

Dear colleagues, In 2017, WHO, PATH, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and Gavi launched the Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy (VIPS), with the aim to drive vaccine product innovation to better meet country needs and support Alliance goals on immunisation coverage and equity. Product innovation refers to completely new vaccine products or adaptations to existing products that provide measurable financial or programmatic benefits to low and middle income countries (LMICs), such as increased coverage and equity (e.g., by overcoming a ‘last mile’ barrier) or improved vaccine effectiveness. Through VIPS, the Alliance strives to understand countries’ needs to consider the financial and non-financial impact of innovations; develop common principles to measure the benefits of product innovations; and convene a platform to articulate a clear and aligned perspective on priority product innovations in development and communicate these priorities to provide greater clarity for manufacturers or partners to help inform investment decisions. At this stage of the VIPS process, we would like to ask for feedback through this survey on the relative importance of immunisation programme implementation challenges and barriers to improved coverage and equity and other pressing issues, from a country perspective. Your answers will inform VIPS assessments of vaccine product innovations in order to prioritise innovations that may be most valued in addressing country needs. This survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and will be available through the 30th September 2018 under one of the following links: English version - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BPMTGC9 French version - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LFH2DKQ Russian version - https://ru.surveymonkey.com/r/R3XMMMC Please feel free to forward the survey links to other stakeholders who may be interested. We apologise for the inconvenience if you have already received a link to this survey through another communication. We appreciate you making time to complete this questionnaire and look forward to continuing engagment with you on this important topic. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anna Osborne: aosborne@gavi.org Best regards, Debbie Kristensen on behalf of the VIPS Secretariat  

Dear Colleagues and partners I hope you’re well and that 2018 has got off to a great start!    I hope you don’t mind me reaching out to request your help is spreading the word about INFUSE within your networks. Innovation for Uptake, Scale and Equity in Immunisation, or INFUSE for short, is an acceleration platform to identify proven solutions which, when scaled up, have the greatest potential to modernise global health and immunisation delivery. Each year, INFUSE calls for innovations that can help Gavi, governments, and partners reach more children with life-saving vaccines. INFUSE then works with expert partners of the Alliance to select the most promising innovations and ‘infuse’ them with the capital, expertise, and other support needed to scale them up.  INFUSE 2018 is calling for proven digital technology innovations – adapted to low-resource environments in developing countries – to help identify and register children, especially girls, who are at risk of missing out on life-saving vaccines. The innovations should greatly enhance the efficacy of immunisation delivery, and modernise methods to identify and register the children who most need life-saving vaccines and who currently are being missed by existing processes. All innovations that leverage technology to address equity challenges, help reach and protect the under-immunised – whether low-tech or high-tech, whether addressing supply or demand issues – are welcome. Please note that proposals must have advanced beyond the pilot stage and be capable of being deployed at a large scale within 6 to 12 months. We are not seeking research or pilot projects.  The deadline is 10 April 2018. For organisations interested in submitting an innovation for consideration and for more details on selection criteria and the annual INFUSE process please visit our website.  Please find attached the call for innovation –please spread the word among your networks and help us attract the most innovative solutions addressing the immunisation equity gap.  If you could kindly copy in infuse@gavi.org in your outreach ( if appropriate) that would be most appreciated! And if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and I can redirect your queries to the right desk. Thanks in advance for your support Best, Magloire ACHIDI + 41 22 909 65 46 Senior Supply Chain Consultant  | HSIS | RMPSP | STEP Program Manager machidi-external-consultant@gavi.org   2, Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: + 41 22 909 65 00 Web: http://www.gavi.org With the support of donors and partners, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is working to immunise an additional 300 million children between 2016 and 2020, preventing a further 5-6 million deaths. Join us and help to reach every child. Visit www.gavi.org, sign up for the Gavi newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Dear TechNet community members, Warm greetings! The cold chain situation in many countries is sub-optimal and affects the capacity of national immunization programs to deliver potent vaccines to all women and children.To help improve this situation, the Gavi Board approved the Cold Chain Equipment Platform Optimization Platform (CCEOP) in 2015 with the purpose to support the purchase of CCE. Since 2016, CCEOP WHO pre-reviews and GAVI Independent Review Committee (IRC) revealed countries’ weaknesses to provide updated and specific policies and strategies for CCE decommissioning and disposal. Though there is no policy for vaccines CCE decommissioning and disposal, countries should plan for technical support and request guidance.This could be major barriers to the implementation of the CCEOP or any future CCE investments. So I am contacting you, Dear TechNet community members, to request for best practices sharing from your countries.  Existing CCE decommissioning and disposal policy or strategy or plan for immunization Available CCE decommissioning and disposal guidelines for immunization Existing partnerships between National Immunization programs and other stakeholders (public-private-NGO) Your contribution will be very helpful to UNICEF which commits supporting countries developing policies and strategies for CCE disposal in the framework of the CCEOP implementation. Thanks for considering this request and I am looking forward to your reply. Dorothy.  

Here is a link to an interesting article that a colleague sent me: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/11/28/tens-thousands-dying-from-30b-fake-drugs-trade-who-says.html Basically, it reports on a study of the (potential) extent of damage from fake, adulterated or expired vaccines.  My question is more specifically whether someone has studied similar effects of losses in the WHO-EPI suite of vaccines due to supply chain problems (e.g., lack of temperature control, mistimed deliveries, wastage, etc.), and if there has been any research into systematic interventions that could mitigate these effects. Thanks Jay

Following the July 2017 release of the WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage and the corresponding chorus of concerns about sustained (i.e., a more positive alternative to the term “stagnated” that is frequently used) levels of vaccination coverage since around 2010 that seems to follow, I thought it useful to remind readers that the number of children vaccinated is increasing! Unfortunately, the number of children vaccinated from one year to the next during the recent period has not outpaced the natural population growth (as estimated by UN Population Division), a requirement for vaccination COVERAGE levels to increase over time. For example, at the global level, although estimated DTPCV3 coverage has remained around 85% since 2010, the estimated number of children who received three doses of DTPCV increased by more than 3.2 million between 2010 and 2016. Without surprise, the estimated number of surviving infants globally also increased, in fact, by more than 2.7 million from an estimated 133 to 136 million surviving infants. A similar pattern was observed among the Gavi 73 countries, for which nearly more 4.2 million children were vaccinated with DTPCV3 in 2016 than in 2010; again, the estimated number of surviving infants increased, by some 2.8 million children among Gavi 73 countries. Across the Gavi 73 countries, estimated DTPCV3 coverage was sustained at roughly the same level between 2010 and 2016 in 41 countries (estimated DTPCV3 coverage increased meaningfully in 24 countries and decreased meaningfully in eight countries). And among these 41 countries with sustained coverage levels for DTPCV3, the estimated number of children vaccinated increased between 2010 and 2016 in 31 countries by a total of more than 1 million infants. So, as the chorus of concern around sustained coverage levels is heard far and wide, from the opening session of the TechNet conference and beyond, let us give credit to the achievement of the national immunization programmes over the past 7-10 years – a period during which many programmes introduced multiple new vaccines (!), endured the effects of a global financial crisis and in some cases had to deal with civil conflict, large disease outbreaks and/or natural disasters. The achievements are noteworthy. Without question, there is more that can be and must be done moving forward…but, let’s not lose track of the fact that more children are vaccinated today than ever before and this number continues to increase.  

  National and subnational participants from Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Syria gathered at the Dead Sea, Jordan from 25 to 27 September to participate in a MENA Regional Workshop on Equity-Informed Microplanning. The workshop was organized by UNICEF MENARO in close technical collaboration with GAVI, US CDC, JSI, WHO and EMPHNET. The objective of the workshop was to improve the capacity of national and sub-national level EPI and data managers to analyze immunization data with an equity lens, learn about existing methodologies, tools and Information and Communication Technology applications and exchange ideas and best practices on how to account for special populations such as transient, conflict affected, and urban slums, the non-public sector, immunization during the second year of life, missed opportunities and equity-informed microplanning and resource allocation.   Background:   In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, countries have been faced with enormous threats and challenges due to the proliferation of political conflicts which have led to massive internally displaced people and refugees. Additionally economic austerities and environmental degradations in recent decades have contributed to extensive population movements, such as migration and urbanization. Moreover, health financing has been impacted due to competing priorities and commitments and an increasingly disturbing trend in out of pocket expenditures is observed.   In the meantime, as immunization programs have matured, they have set impressively ambitious goals, for instance to reach the populations that are the hardest to reach and improve coverage across geographic, socio-economic and demographic groups. Yet, current data systems in many countries are not designed with the goals of universal health coverage and equity in mind and often focus on populations already reached by programs.   Consequently, there is often a lack of information about those who are never vaccinated, those who do not complete their vaccinations and those who opt out. Moreover, in many countries microplans are updated or developed without particular focus on equity and where the private and civil society sectors have a major role in providing services, there is a lack of coordination and communication, and the data do not often get reported, recorded and incorporated as part of the country’s planning process. Finally existing plans and tools for registering, recording and reporting coverage do not always take into account immunization during the second year of life and the missed opportunities.  

As requested, I am shareing the call for the Request for Proposal (RFP) from the interested service provider for Technical Assistance to Selected Countries to Improve Immunization Service Delivery for the Urban Poor. The RFP can be assessed through GAVI RFP landing page at http://www.gavi.org/rfp/  Application closes on August 14th.  

UNICEF supports countries in achieving their national immunization goals. The achievement of these goals depend on having strong Immunization Supply Chains Management (ISCM) systems in place that are routinely assessed and improved through the comprehensive Effective Vaccine Management Assessment. The objectives for ISCM are to achieve adequate supply for every immunization session without temperature damage and at the lowest possible cost per fully immunized child. To achieve these objectives the country’s immunization programme needs strong cold chain equipment management systems and also need dedicated capacity at all levels of the country to maintain and expand the cold chain and to adopt new innovative cold chain technology that is more robust with lower operating costs. Many countries have expressed demand for technical assistance for comprehensive planning and upgrading and expanding their cold chain system so that they are aligned with their coverage and equity goals. Furthermore countries have requested support to choose the most optimal and appropriate technology that is aligned with the country context. UNICEF and partners have worked with the GAVI Alliance to establish the GAVI Cold Chain Optimization Platform (CCEOP) that provides financing to countries to ensure adequate and optimal cold chain capacity is available at subnational level to help achieve the programmatic coverage and equity objectives. It will also help countries to accelerate the deployment of higher-performing technologies that have lower operating costs. This priority also aligns with the strategic goals of the WHO and UNICEF immunization supply chain Hub to strengthen the capacity of countries and to intensify and coordinate efforts to catalyse immunization supply chains improvements through the comprehensive EVM process. Purpose The purpose of this announcement is to establish a pre-screened Experts Pool of Supply Chain Specialist in Cold Chain Equipment management and Temperature Monitoring and Control that can be deployed on as needs basis. These experts are expected to work in close collaboration with UNICEF Programme Division, Supply Division, WHO, Regional and Country Offices and other external partners (such as CHAI, PATH, AMP, JSI,…) in providing technical assistance and applying latest guidance, tools and methods at country level to strengthen the country’s cold chain equipment management system. Tasks include to support the process of conducting national cold chain inventories that can be updated regularly, developing and supporting the implementation of rehabilitation and expansion plans; preventative and corrective maintenance plan; cold chain equipment deployment and installation plans. In addition, qualified experts from this pool may be tasked to help the national counterpart to prepare Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP) application submission, work with partners in improving and updating global guidance, tools, methods and capacity building efforts including supporting countries to establish or strengthen National Logistics Working Group (NLWG). In particular the consultant will: (a) Support countries by providing technical assistance to improve the cold chain equipment management systems and implement priorities as identified through the EVM process and to support the application to and implementation of GAVI Cold Chain Optimization Platform that is aligned with country plans (cMYP, EVM improvement plans, GAVI HSS). Support also includes prepare and review documentations of CCEOP applications if required and as requested by the Ministry of Health. (b) Review, update and develop guidance, tools and methods for cold chain equipment management in collaboration with the stakeholders. (c) Develop training materials and implement trainings for cold chain equipment management including CCEOP application processes in the role of “subject matter expert”. (d) Undertake studies to measure impact of iSC interventions such as CCEOP but not limited to it on coverage and equity. (e) Support countries to establish NLWG or strengthen it if already exist and weak in order to ensure national ownership of all planned activities. (f) Conduct studies/research and generate evidence to document best practices in improving iSCM. (g) Conduct cost benefit analysis of innovative solutions such as adoption CTC vaccines. Expected results (based on country needs): Based on country needs, the consultant should be able to provide appropriate technical support in the following three (3) categories. Applicants are advised to indicate in which technical areas below they are applying. They can select all these three areas or can opt only one depending on their expertise: Technical Area1: Cold Chain Equipment Management (CCEM) · Support and/or coordinate part or the whole CCEOP process as per Gavi CCEOP application 2017 guidance Cold chain inventory and its report Rehabilitation plan Maintenance plan CCE deployment plan Segmentation of health facilities · Provide support at the country level to complete the CCEOP application form and budget to the highly acceptable level · Support the country for CCEOP equipment deployment and implementation processes Technical Area 2: Temperature Monitoring and Control (TMC) · Conduct a temperature mapping study in the vaccine cold rooms in selected countries using WHO tool (protocol, training, data analysis) and build national capacity to conduct future studies · Coordinate a temperature monitoring study in the vaccine distribution routes in selected countries using the WHO protocol and the UNICEF guide (temperature monitoring handbook) and build national capacity to conduct future studies · Support the development and deployment of guidance, training materials and SOPs to ensure adoption and sustained use of the system by health workers and managers Technical Area 3: Other Immunization Supply Chain Catalytic activities and studies · Undertake studies to measure impact of iSC interventions such as CCEOP but not limited to it on coverage and equity. · Support countries to establish NLWG or if exist and weak strengthen it to ensure national ownership of all planned activities. · Conduct studies/research and generate evidence to document best practices in improving iSCM. · Conduct cost benefit analysis of innovative solutions such as adoption CTC vaccines. Duty Station Remote with trips as requested by the countries among UNICEF Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices. May vary depending on deployment. Timeframe: The Expert Pool will be valid for a year from its establishment. Start date: 1 August 2017 End date: 31 July 2018 Mid - Senior Level Competencies · Strong analytical, oral & written communication skills · Proven track record in project management with the emphasis on planning, budgeting and reporting · Effective presenter including ability to adapt the message and visual aids for multiple audiences to deliver concise, impactful presentations · Effective facilitator with proven ability to engage and train a group of individuals (through an interpreter if necessary) · Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment · Demonstrated ability to work in a team Technical skills and knowledge on some or all of the following · Proven experience working in multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural settings · Experience in developing inventories and cold chain rehabilitation and expansion plans at country level · Experience in writing complex funding proposals, developing multi-year budgets and operational plans for cold chain equipment management and temperature monitoring devices · Experience in training, planning and delivery of technical assistance · Proven track record in interfacing with national ministries of health · Proficiency in WHO PQS-listed cold chain equipment · Experience and knowledge on the Gavi CCE OP application documents and process · Proficiency in the development of technical SOPs for cold chain equipment management is an advantage Work experience on some or all of the following · An Advanced University Degree in public health or other health related area or social sciences is desired. · Demonstrated solid experience in development of the Gavi CCE OP, temperature monitoring studies. · At least 3-5 years of experience in international public health programme with experience in resource-limited environments · Experience of EVM assessment and cIP development in at least one country outside his/her country of residence is an advantage · Must have experience in conducting cold chain equipment inventory outside his/her country of residence · Experience in temperature monitoring systems implementation, and studies · Experience in SOP adaptation support outside his/her country of residence Languages · Fluency in written and spoken either English or French is required. Proficiency in Arabic language is highly desired. Knowledge of local languages is an added value.

Being selected as a 2016 Gavi INFUSE Pacesetter was a significant milestone for Nexleaf, and this designation has already helped us amplify our impact. We highly recommend submitting your technological innovation today! http://www.gavi.org/library/news/press-releases/2017/gavi-seeks-to-support-innovative-solutions-to-improve-vaccine-delivery/

At countries’ request, WHO has worked with UNICEF and PAHO to enhance transparency of vaccine prices, through the creation and maintenance of the Vaccine Product, Price and Procurement Initiative (V3P). Thanks to the hard work of colleagues and partners, last year 51 countries have shared their vaccine price information with the V3P database. Together with the data shared by PAHO and UNICEF, the V3P database now provides visibility to prices accessible to 70% of the world. All the data and analyses are directly accessible on the V3P website. In order to facilitate access to price information, WHO EPI has created the following three documents: -WHO Price report 2016: this is a standalone version of the pricing section (also known as the “GVAP price report͟”) published annually as part of the GVAP Secretariat report. It provides a short overview of vaccine pricing and trends. - V3P price Digest 2016: the price digest is a directory of vaccine prices and is meant to ease access to the price information available on the website. The Digest presents vaccine price data points and ranges from the V3P database per vaccine, with an emphasis on those that are posing the biggest affordability issues. The extracted tables are complemented by procurement and pricing analyses on each vaccine. -Factsheet on vaccine pricing for Gavi transitioning countries 2016: countries have brought to our attention their challenges in accessing information about price commitments by manufacturers for countries transitioning out of Gavi support and for fully self-financing countries. This factsheet aims at clarifying the manufacturers’ price commitments and presents prices accessible to each of these countries. The documents are attached here and available on the V3P repository webpage, at: http://www.who.int/immunization/programmes_systems/procurement/v3p/platform/module2/en/ . Use them and disseminate them broadly to anyone who could benefit from increased knowledge of vaccine prices! Please feel free to share any feedback on these documents to: V3P-project@who.int. Best, Stephanie.

In order to strengthen and enlarge the Gavi CSO Constituency, the Gavi CSO Steering Committee would like to identify CSOs working in immunisation within the broader context of Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health, Health Systems Strengthening and Community Systems Strengthening in the following countries: · Cambodia · East Timor · Indonesia · Laos · Myanmar · Papua New Guinea · Sri Lanka · Vietnam If your organisation has offices in any of these countries, or if you have CSO contacts in these countries who may be interested in learning more about the Gavi CSO Constituency, please get in touch by 6 February by replying to amy.dietterich@ifrc.org. Many thanks in advance.

A well-functioning supply chain often goes unnoticed. People rarely talk about fully stocked shelves at the store or on-time delivery of a package. It’s the interruptions to the supply chain that get noticed. As they say, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. These days, immunization supply chains (iSC)—the network of staff, equipment, vehicles, and data needed to get vaccines safely from the manufacturer to the people who need them—are the “squeaky wheel” as the global health community seeks to close the immunization gap.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: First Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa
While gathering at the first-everMinisterial Conference on Immunization in Africa (MCIA)in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia earlier this year, supply chains formed an important part of the larger immunization conversation. TheAddis Declaration on Immunization,the official commitment signed by many African leaders at the conference, included objectives focused on addressing barriers to, and increasing effectiveness and efficiency of, vaccine delivery systems. In addition, ministers of health, parliamentarians, and other stakeholders attended a side session focused on immunization supply chains. During the session, the Ministers of Health from Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda, as well as EPI Managers from Benin and Senegal had the opportunity to share their experiences and lessons learned related to vaccine delivery. The conference was the first step in a series of country leader commitments and cross-country sharing for improving vaccine supply chains across the African continent.
Entebbe, Uganda: Eastern and Southern African Regional Meeting
In late August, logisticians and supply chain partners from 21 East and Southern African countries gathered in Entebbe, Uganda, at a meeting hosted by UNICEF to explore important supply chain topics and learn from one another. Participants from Malawi, Uganda, and Eritrea received awards as recognition of their efforts to champion supply chain improvements. Sessions structured around thefive fundamentals for next-generation supply chainsprovided deeper understanding on using data for decision-making, cold chain equipment, iSC human resource needs, and national logistics working groups. Participants learned more about the declaration stemming from MCIA and discussed strategies to build the case for increased investment and attention to supply chain issues. These local champions gained insights into how to advance their technical work by building on political commitments made by their leaders.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Vaccine Congress: “No Products, No Programs: Why Vaccine Supply Chains Matter”
Shortly after the iSC discussion in Uganda, 10,000km away in Amsterdam, Netherlands, another high-level discussion on iSC took place at theVaccine Congress. Hosted by publisher Elsevier, the participants this time were not politicians, logisticians, or program implementers, but rather academic experts and scientists—an important constituency in this conversation. There, PATH organized a fireside chat on iSC. Panelists Raja Rao from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Heather Deehan from the UNICEF Supply Division engaged in a discussion moderated by Bruce Y. Lee from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Seth Berkley, President and CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, also joined by way ofvideo. The panel discussion entitled, “No Products, No Programs: Why Vaccine Supply Chains Matter,” engaged conference attendees on the linkages between iSC performance and programmatic success in low-and middle-income countries. This important discussion engaged scientists involved in vaccine development in the realities of vaccine delivery on the ground. It is critical that the issues communities face in safely delivering vaccines are taken into account early in the vaccine research and development process. In addition to having the people and processes in place to move vaccines to the furthest reaches of a country, it is crucial to have vaccines and related equipment that are able to sustain the journey.
“Synergies are needed for real impact to occur; it benefits everyone to establish a systems-wide approach that optimizes connections across the preclinical, clinical, post-licensure, introduction, and delivery continuum.” – Heather Deehan, UNICEF
From conversation to action
The rich conversations about iSC that are taking place around the world—among politicians, logisticians, and academics—and across the vaccine discovery to delivery continuum are very encouraging. However, actions speak louder than words. We look forward to African Union formally tabling the Addis Declaration on Immunization, and stakeholders following through on their commitments by taking up needed iSC innovations to ensure vaccines get to the children who need them.
Links for more information:
Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa:http://immunizationinafrica2016.org/
Addis Declaration on Immunization:http://immunizationinafrica2016.org/ministerial-declaration-english/
Watch global immunization leaders in Addis talk about the importance of iSC:https://youtu.be/t4h8tGCZz14
Vaccine Congress:http://www.vaccinecongress.com/
Watch remarks from Seth Berkley, President and CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance:https://youtu.be/fjPCm_cWMp8


http://www.technet-21.org/en/resources/technet-resource-library/

Dear Colleagues,
JSI is pleased to announce a new publication in the Getting Products to People series: How Private Sector Solutions Can Strengthen Supply Chains for Public Health For years, experts in the field working on strengthening supply chains to support public health programs have emphasizedthe importance of the private sector role in extending the reach and improving the performance of the supply chainsthat serve the public with the health products they need. The private sector has often been deemed thesolutionto efficiency challenges and improving value for money.JSI has extensive experience working on designing private sector solutions that work in both low and middle income countries. We have found that although the private sector is definitely part of the solution, there are many models that work and extensive privatization is not necessarily always the panacea to our supply chain problems.We determine it will take anuanced approachto building agile supply chains and strong and sustainable healthcare marketplaces to meet our universal health coverage goals. This will include the private sector but does not presuppose full health sector privatization. The public will always need to serve as a good steward for public health and equitable access to products and services.It is strong, visionary supply chain leaders who will design and oversee supply chains that work and leverage the capacity of the private sector to help in these endeavors.

Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, co-organized a regional conference ‘Leadership for Healthcare and Vaccination Supply Chain’ in Côte d’Ivoire on 13 and 14 June. The goal was to educate developing countries about the importance of investing in order to modernize the supply chain for healthcare products and vaccines.Under the patronage of his Excellency Dr.Raymonde Goudou Coffie, Côte d’Ivoire’s Health and Public Hygiene Minister, the conference brought together 100 participants from 11 Francophone West and Central African countries, Gavi partners, regional organizations, training institutions and private sector partners.
At the end of the two days, a call to action was launched by all of the participants calling for a political commitment from the leaders of their countries and partners to renew and increase efforts and investment in human, material and financial resources within the supply chain and healthcare logistics. Attached you will find the conference report.
What are your thoughts on this initiative?

Dear friends, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is very pleased to present the Cold Chain Equipment ‘Technology Guide’, to support the appropriate selection of modern, efficient and reliable technologies. Download the guide here.
Identifying the most appropriate equipment choices for each health facility is key to help ensure more facilities have adequate cold chain capacity, and that more facilities also have higher performing equipment that stays functional for longer periods of time. This in turn will help increase access to immunisation as well as greater vaccine safety and potency, and contribute to improvements in immunisation coverage and equity.
Developed by technical assistance providers, the Technology Guide offers comprehensive and regularly up-dated information on cold chain equipment and technologies and how to choose the solutions that meet the needs of each health facility. The Technology Guide covers the range of optimised on-grid and off-grid refrigerators and freezers. It also covers other new technologies such as new passive cooling devices and temperature monitoring solutions. The Guide provides clear advice and structured approach to CCE decision-making is intended in particular for use in health facilities and at lower levels of the cold chain.
The Technology Guide is also available as part of the TechNet ‘Cold Chain Equipment Management - Technical Resources’ page here.
The Technology Guide also explains which devices comply with the requirements of the recently launched Gavi Cold Chain Equipment Optimisation Platform. Platform eligible equipment and technologies include innovation that has been achieved via quality assurance provided by WHO Performance, Quality and Safety (PQS) specifications and additionally establishing target product profiles (TPPs) designed to ensure manufacturers also bring the next generation of equipment needed by countries. Click here for more information on the Platform, which is a new form of support to countries to improve access to appropriate and high-performing cold chain equipment.

The new People that Deliver Newsflash is now available!

In this issue:
- Gavi People and Practices Working Group with PtD introduces: HR Country Support Package
- Supply Chain Management in the Dominican Republic
- Opportunities for Stronger Private and Public Sector collaborations

For the full Newsflash, please go to:http://www.peoplethatdeliver.org/node/26647 Regards,

Sara A KHAN
People that Deliver
UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen, Denmark
saakhan@unicef.org | info@peoplethatdeliver.org | Ph. +45-45335860 | Skype: peoplethatdeliver | Oceanvej 10-12 | 2150 Nordhavn | Copenhagen, Denmark

Follow us at on Twitter @PplthatDeliver

These are the conclusions from the recent study in 4 Gavi countries (attached). Are you convinced by these findings?

Dear TechNet members: As a public-private partnership, Gavi believes the private sector can play a key role in advancing its mission to save children's lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisation. To helpus identify where and how the private sector can best support its mission in innovative ways that are sustainable and scalable, we would appreciate your time in answering a short survey that will provide us valuable information on how you believe the private sector is best suited to help us reach more children with life-saving vaccines. The survey should only take 10-15 minutes to complete and can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2BKHQSY The information you provide will help Gavi assess where to invest its resources to bring private sector support country-led endeavours. Your answers will be anonymous. Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide valuable feedback to us Gavi Secretariat, Private Sector partnerships team

Dear colleagues: The Alliance Data for Management (D4M) working group is developing a guidance package on immunisation supply chain dashboards that includes a menu of primary supply chain performance indicators for countries to select from that meet their needs. The indicators and dashboards are intended for managers at multiple levels of the immunization supply chain and provide visualisation examples and suggested corrective actions for each indicator. This guidance will be endorsed by the Alliance Partners (WHO, UNICEF, Gavi Secretariat, BMGF). We want your input and feedback to inform the guidance and proposed indicator menu to make the guidance document as relevant and useable as possible! Survey will close Monday, June 1 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JFRGZXV For those that have already completed the survey, thank you! For others, we thank you in advance for taking time to provide valuable feedback to us.The survey should take less than 15-25 minutes to complete. For further information on the guidance document and how to get involved contact: Jan Grevendonk (grevendonkj@who.int, WHO), Dorthe Konradsen (dkonradsen@unicef.org, Unicef SD) Kaleb Brownlow (kbrownlow@gavi.org, Gavi) or Anna Rapp (anna.rapp@gatesfoundation.org, BMGF). Best, D4M working group

Dear TechNet colleagues: As presented this morning, the Vaccine Alliance Data for Management (D4M) working group is developing a guidance package on immunisation supply chain dashboards that includes a menu of primary supply chain performance indicators for countries to select from that meet their needs. The indicators and dashboards are intended for managers at multiple levels of the immunization supply chain and provide visualisation examples and suggested corrective actions for each indicator. This guidance will be endorsed by the Alliance Partners (WHO, UNICEF, Gavi Secretariat, BMGF). We want your input and feedback to inform the guidance and proposed indicator menu to make the guidance document as relevant and useable as possible! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JFRGZXV We thank you in advance for taking time to provide valuable feedback to us.The survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete. For further information on the guidance document and how to get involved contact: Jan Grevendonk (grevendonkj@who.int, WHO), Dorthe Konradsen (dkonradsen@unicef.org, Unicef SD) Kaleb Brownlow (kbrownlow@gavi.org, Gavi) or Anna Rapp (anna.rapp@gatesfoundation.org, BMGF). Best, D4M working group

Dear colleagues, On 27 February, the Cameroon Inter-ministerial Committee, authorized by the Health Minister of Cameroon to facilitate the production of a joint HIV/immunization law and accompanying Special Appropriation Account, scheduled a study tour in Costa Rica to observe the country's law and EPI performance, and one to nearby Gabon to learn from their HIV fund. The planning session was well-attended, with representatives from parliament, ministries of Health and Finance, and international partners all actively participating. Please find a brief report attached. Warm regards, Andrew Carlson

3ie will soon issue a call for a scoping study (including an online survey and evidence gap map) on innovative approaches to community engagement for increasing immunisation coverage in GAVI-eligible countries with low, declining or stagnant vaccination rates. This study will identify the priority areas and evaluation questions and will also inform the design of the request for proposals under 3ie’s Increasing immunisation thematic window funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To be part of the scoping study ToR mailing list, please email tw10@3ieimpact.org mentioning ‘scoping study’ in the subject line by 24 November. Kindly mention your name and organisational affiliation. Read more: http://www.3ieimpact.org/en/announcements/2014/11/17/coming-soon-3ie-call-scoping-study-innovative-approaches-increasing-immunisation-coverage-gavi-countries/ Paromita Mukhopadhyay Ph.D. Online Communications Officer | Policy, Advocacy and Communication Office | International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie)

Dear CSO colleagues and friends Attached please find a CSO sign-on letter drafted by the Gavi CSO Steering Committee and German CSO colleagues working on immunisation ahead of the Gavi Replenishment conference that will be hosted by the German government in Berlin on 27 January, 2015. The letter will be sent to Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel on November 10th and calls for Chancellor Merkel to play an active role in the lead-up to and during Gavi’s replenishment conference; the letter also includes a number of key policy asks from civil society. To sign on to the CSO letter to Chancellor Merkel, please send an email to CSOletter@gmail.com with your organisation’s name, country and logo in .gif or .jpg format by Friday, November 7th noon GMT. We would appreciate if you could also forward the call for sign-ons to development colleagues in other networks beyond the immunisation community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Amy Dietterich at amy.dietterich@ifrc.org or Katri Kemppainen-Bertram at katri.bertram@savethechildren.de. Thank you for your support! Best regards on behalf of the GAVI CSO Steering Committee and the German CSO working group on health (a sub-set of VENRO members) Chers collègues et amis GAVI OSC, Veuillez trouver ici rattaché une lettre d'inscription rédigé par le Comité de pilotage Gavi OSC et nos collègues allemands travaillant sur la vaccination et le renforcement des systèmes de la santé (RSS) à propos de la conférence de la Campagne de levée de fonds pour Gavi qui sera accueilli par le gouvernement allemand à Berlin le 27 Janvier 2015. La lettre sera envoyée à la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel le 10 Novembre. C’est un appelle à la chancelière de jouer un rôle actif dans le cadre des préparatifs et pendant la conférence ; il y a aussi plusieurs demandes de la part de la société civile. La traduction française (qui n’est pas parfaite, on le sait bien ) est uniquement pour donner une idée du contenu de la lettre pour que votre organisation peut la soutenir. C’est la version anglaise qui sera envoyé à la chancelière. Pour soutenir la lettre des OSC à la chancelière Angela Merkel, se il vous plaît envoyez un courriel à CSOletter@gmail.com avec le nom, le pays et le logo de votre organisation en format .gif ou .jpg avant le vendredi 7 Novembre à midi GMT. Nous serions reconnaissants si vous pouviez également transférer l'appel à d’autres collègues. Si vous avez des questions, n’ hésiter pas à communiquer avec Amy Dietterich (amy.dietterich@ifrc.org) ou Katri Kemppainen-Bertram (katri.bertram@savethechildren.de) . Merci en avance pour le soutien! Cordialement au nom du Comité de pilotage des OSC qui soutiennent Gavi et le groupe allemand des OSC qui travaillent sur la santé (un sous-ensemble de membres de VENRO)

As many of you know, the supply chain strategy developed by WHO, UNICEF, Gates Foundation and GAVI was approved by the GAVI Board in June of this year, and we are beginning to work on implementation planning and communication. At this point, I know the community has more questions than we yet have answers, but I’d like to point you to our first short communication piece about our priority initiatives, which are focused on the three fundamentals of supply chains in countries—managers, plans, and dashboards. This reflects our thinking that it is in having the right people in place, ensuring they have access to pertinent information, and engaging them in a process of continuous improvement based on comprehensive plans that countries will be able to meet the challenges they face to manage a supply chain that keeps pace with the mounting volumes and values of life-saving vaccines. It would be great to know about work that you are involved in related to these topics. As we do the work planning, we know there is already a lot going on--we will do what we can to build on existing work. The fact sheet is available on TechNet at the link below; French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian versions are coming soon. GAVI supply chain strategy fact sheet--priority initiatives--EN

From People that Deliver Recognizing the importance of supply chains, the GAVI Alliance partners, GAVI Secretariat, WHO, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are currently designing a supply chain strategy to increase investment in supply chains, coordinate global activities on the issue, and ensure that more children receive the vaccines they need. The purpose of the attached review is to identify and document evidence to support six hypotheses proposed by the People and Practice Working Group, and the recommended interventions. Methodology The study adopted a systematic review of the evidence using three techniques: bibliographic online searches using keywords; use of websites of international organizations that support, fund or monitor issues related to health supply chains; and finally, a grey literature search used to unearth further information by examining and following up sources from different websites. The review sought to address the following six hypotheses: [ol] Many elements of immunization supply chain functions are not performed by logistics professionals; People who manage the supply chain (transport, storing, handling, etc.) are inadequately trained and do not have ready access to appropriate training; Ministry of Health (MoH) leadership and staff are not empowered to make critical decisions and investments that positively impact the supply chain; The supply chain management (SCM) organization is inadequately designed to face the increasing complexity and challenges of the supply chain; There is a lack of proper incentives and performance management to enable people who manage the supply chain; and Poor supply chain practices result in weak information systems, poor cold chain and vaccine management, and ultimately stock-outs and wastage. The findings of the study are recorded in the attached report and form background evidence to help inform the People and Practice Working Group as well as donors and others interested in the development of health supply chains.

This is the third post on data for management (D4M) in the context of the GAVI Alliance 2020 supply chain strategy. D4M refers to the collection, analysis and use of data to measure and improve immunization (supply chain) performance. At this point, we would like to request your help and collaboration to further refine the strategy. Key principles are that the strategy should: 1. Be holistic in its approach to data for management: investments in technology and systems will not yield the desired results if no attention is paid to the people aspect. 2. Be tool agnostic: we are not in a position at this time to select any tool or technology and push for the implementation of that in GAVI countries. 3. Put well-informed and knowledgeable country decision makers in the driver’s seat. They will prioritize interventions based on a better understanding of their needs as well as about the options that are available to them. A small working group has developed an initial framework, as described in the attached PowerPoint presentation. In short, we see a GAVI Alliance role in these areas: Guidance, standards and recommendations for in-country information systems - Define data standards and guidance on processes and data use. - Develop guidance on how to select and implement better and more sustainable information systems. Development and availability of technology, systems, and approaches for the collection and use of data - Identify methods to share and disseminate experiences with data for management (incl. product catalogue, repository or similar) - Help partners evaluate and document impact of ongoing interventions Invest in the development of promising ideas and approaches Global & National Leadership development - Establish a group to advocate, oversee and adjust strategy implementation - Use existing discussion forums (Technet-21 etc.) to enhance country expertise - Develop methods, materials and training curricula to improve the capacity of national leaders and workforce to analyze, interpret and use data Technical assistance to support countries to evaluate needs, and select and implement sustainable solutions - Support countries to plan, design, implement and sustain information systems - Develop modules on data and information system assessment and improvement that can be used independently by countries or as part of EVM, PIE, EPI review etc. Specific questions we would like to ask you are: 1. Is this the right approach or would you like to suggest changes? 2. What does the GAVI Alliance need to do to make this happen? I.e. what are the concrete interventions that need to take place and who should be responsible for them? What is it going to cost? 3. What is your organization’s role in this work and what would you expect from GAVI coordinating and funding mechanisms? 4. What mechanism is needed to ensure that investment decisions are transparent, fair and objective (insofar not driven by countries, for example desire to invest in the development of a new technology or training curriculum)? Thanks in advance for your ideas about any of these points! D4M-framework.pptx

Last week the TechNet moderator introduced a new moderated discussion on GAVI’s immunization supply chain strategy Data for management. This week we continue the discussion. As GAVI partners continue to develop a strategy for strengthening immunization supply chains, one of the areas we are thinking about is how to improve the use of data in supply chains. One example would be to work to improve the visibility of vaccine stock quantities. That way, managers can see at any time how many vaccines are at the level they send vaccines to as well as the level they receive vaccines from. We’re interested in your thoughts about this. In particular, what could GAVI Alliance partners do that would be helpful to country supply chain managers in identifying information systems and innovative practices to better manage information about vaccine stock quantities?