WHO recently published a new guidance document: “A practical handbook for planning, implementing and strengthening vaccination in the second year of life” (2YL Handbook). The 2YL Handbook provides detail on the practical steps for planning, managing, implementing, and monitoring vaccination during a scheduled visit, or visits, in the second year of life. It also provides useful steps for strengthening vaccination when coverage in the 2YL has not reached programme targets. It is designed to be used together with the 2YL guidance  “Establishing and strengthening immunization in the second year of life: practices for vaccination beyond infancy”. Both of these documents, as well as other tools and resources on immunization in the 2YL, can be found at www.who.int/immunization/programmes_systems/policies_strategies/2YL 

People that Deliver Launches a New Resource for Health Supply Chain Practitioners: the Human Resources for Supply Chain Management Theory of Change Like all chains, supply chains are no stronger than their weakest link. Although hundreds of millions of dollars in commodities flow through the health supply chain (SC) system, the critical, strategic function of the supply chain within health systems is rarely acknowledged—and the SC workforce seldom has the right technical and managerial competencies to perform optimally or the empowerment to affect supply decisions and policies. Insufficient numbers of competent staff can cause breakdowns in supply chain systems and lead to poor system performance. The Human Resources for Supply Chain Management Theory of Change (HR4SCM ToC) analyzes the conditions needed to ensure that workers at every level are performing optimally, in order to fulfill all the necessary functions of an effective supply chain system. A theory of change (ToC) describes how a desired change is expected to occur. The HR4SCM ToC provides a useful basis for strategic planning, by providing a foundation for developing strategies—such as to manage the quantity, type, and capacity of human resources required to operate health supply chains. It also serves as a foundation for monitoring and evaluation, by specifying how to measure activities undertaken to make change. The HR4SCM ToC resource also captures complexity in a concise form and allows users to understand how a number of program activities link to one another and lead to program goals. PtD has developed two resources for the HR4SCM ToC - a two-page brief provides a high-level overview of the HR4SCM ToC describing the four pathways to success, our long-term outcome, and our foundational principle as well as a  longer narrative that covers the HR4SCM in more detail, with a full description of the critical assumptions, an explanation of the ToC diagram, and an indicators and interventions catalog. All HR4SCM ToC materials are available for download on the People that Deliver website (www.peoplethatdeliver.org). The HR4SCM ToC’s official launch will take place at the Global Health Supply Chain Summit in Lusaka, Zambia on 27 November, 2018 (http://ghscs.com/). HR4SCM ToC co-author Dr. Andrew Brown will facilitate a pre-conference workshop on Using a Theory of Change and whole of SCM labor market approach to catalyze country investments to improve HR for SCM: A practical toolkit. If you are attending GHSC and would like to participate in the workshop, please fill out this online form: https://tinyurl.com/yar6sacu Links
The HR4SCM ToC can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ybj2jycr About People that Deliver
The People that Deliver (PtD) Initiative was established in 2011 as a global partnership of organizations focusing on professionalization of supply chain personnel by advocating for a systematic approach to human resources (HR) for supply chain management (SCM) at the global and local level. It is based on the global recognition that without trained professionals to manage the health supply chains, drugs and other health supplies do not reach the patients who need them. www.peoplethatdeliver.org Contact
Alexis Strader, Project Officer
Email: info@peoplethatdeliver.org
Tel: +45 45 33 57 99

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  

Working together to unlock the lifesaving power of data 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of WHO and UNICEF’s Joint Reporting Form (JRF) on Immunization – a single form used by all countries to record data on national immunization rates and cases of vaccine-preventable diseases; track vaccine supply and pricing; and monitor immunization schedules and policies. Since the introduction of the form in 1998, immunization data for more than 2.7 billion newborns have been recorded using the JRF. But collection of immunization data did not start as a joint WHO-UNICEF process. While our two organizations both began collecting national immunization coverage data in the late 1970s, as part of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which aims to make vaccines available to all children, we collected it independently, at different times of the year, and using different methods.  This approach produced differing global coverage estimates, making it challenging for the international community to use these estimates to target support where it was most needed. The dual reporting approach also placed a heavy burden on countries, requiring them to collect and report data twice each year. The JRF was a game changer – this joint WHO-UNICEF, worldwide immunization data collection process using uniform methodology and resulting in a single set of more robust estimates, which is not only instrumental in helping immunization stakeholders and partners monitor immunization progress towards targets of the Global Vaccine Action Plan, but is also critical in measuring the impact of global immunization investments. In 1998, when the JRF was first launched, most country immunization programmes offered vaccination against six diseases – diphtheria, measles, pertussis, polio, tetanus and tuberculosis – and focused mainly on children under one year of age.  Today, scientific progress and development have expanded the scope of immunization programmes: countries now vaccinate against a minimum of 10 diseases, the number of available vaccines has more than tripled, and vaccinations are now delivered throughout the life-course. These changes have brought a need for more sophisticated monitoring and data systems that can track and manage this increased programme complexity.  In response, innovations in data collection enable the JRF to not only collect data on vaccination coverage and the number of cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, it also tracks the prices of vaccines in 195 countries, and records progress against global immunization goals.   See the full Commentary From Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela, Assistant Director-General, Family, Women, Children and Adolescents, WHO and Robin Nandy, Principal Advisor & Chief of Immunizations, UNICEF

Economic studies have shown that immunization is an excellent investment, yielding one of the highest returns in health. One dollar spent on immunization is estimated to generate a $16 return on investment. UNICEF considers governments’ budget allocations, whatever their resources, to this life-saving intervention to be states’ foremost commitment to children and the fulfilment of their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Yet, protecting immunization in governments’ budgets has not been systematically addressed in middle-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is to help governments uphold their commitments to the right of every child to be immunized against preventable diseases that UNICEF has undertaken the present financing study. Based on data, research, interviews, lessons learned and good practices in the MENA region, the study provides policymakers, senior officials in ministries of finance and health, and parliamentarians or equivalents with a set of key recommendations to secure necessary government financing for this critical childhood intervention. In focusing on middle-income countries, the study provides a deeper understanding of the situation and dynamics of two critical subgroups: countries with gross national incomes per capita too high to make them eligible for outside financial support, yet who face challenges to meet their immunization goals; and countries eligible for international development assistance, yet who struggle to transition out of aid and co-finance a much greater share of their immunization costs. That means prioritizing health within government budgets, prioritizing immunization within health, and working to make programmes as efficient as possible. Key global players are at the vanguard of the immunization drive, including by making newer vaccines accessible to countries facing resource constraints. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, plays a central role in giving eligible countries support to adopt new, life-saving vaccines and improve coverage and equity. At UNICEF, the Supply Division makes every effort to source and supply affordable vaccines, making its procurement services available to countries. Gaining efficiencies and ensuring sustainability are two overarching themes of immunization financing in this report. Where and how countries spend on health is critical: do they allocate funding to ‘do the right thing’ – using budgets to adequately support the highest priority activities in health, such as immunization? And are they ‘doing things right’ – delivering high-quality services and procuring vaccines efficiently? Do budgets include ancillary but crucial allotments for ongoing supervision, training, surveillance, supply and cold chain management, and laboratory control that are prerequisites for effective immunization? This report concludes that in most of MENA’s middle-income countries, prioritizing immunization and making it more efficient is the best way to create room in budgets and to secure more resources. Many of the recommended first steps are information-related: generating and sharing knowledge, equipping policymakers with evidence, and determining the role of social insurance. It is our hope that this report and its recommendations will help UNICEF and partners in the region strengthen their advocacy and support to governments so they live up to their commitments to the CRC and build high-performing immunization systems that are accessible to all.

Dear Colleagues, UNICEF Pacific is seeking Consultancy services for the following projects. The Terms of Reference (TOR) & Vacancy Details is accessible through the following links. International Consultant to support Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) process in FSM https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=512116 International Immunization and Cold Chain Consultant, Solomon Islands https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=512117 International Stretegic Communications Consultant, Solomon Island’s https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=512118   Thanks, Murat   Murat Hakan Öztürk Procurement Services Specialist UNICEF Pacific Suva-FIJI Email: mhozturk@unicef.org  

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.  

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.  

The Immunization Summary app, which is  great tool initiated by Olivier Beauvais, is now updated and includes data up to 2016. Using the app will  allow you accessing immunization data in a dynamic way, by  generating  visuals (tables, graphs, maps) on schedules, on a selected set of vaccine preventable diseases incidence data, on immunization coverage levels and on various programmatic and systemic indicators (related to policies, activities, management, performance,…). You can download the visuals, send them via email, or even access the underlying raw data. Mainly, these data are reported by WHO & UNICEF member states annually for incidence, coverage and immunization indicators. The app also includes WHO UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) , which constitute an independent technical assessment of coverage. The detailed country profiles of WUENIC can be accessed under publication; The app is available in 6 languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic). For more information on how to use the app,  watch the immunization summary preview at: http://multimedia.who.int/mp4/WHO-TRA_Immunization_surveillance_application_13MAR2014.mp4 Do not Forget to rate the app, and send all your comments and suggestions to vpdata@who.int.

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.

Port Vila, 14 June 2017: The Vanuatu Government will make history today by launching what may be the first ever trial in the Pacific to test the capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of drones to deliver lifesaving vaccines to inaccessible remote communities in Vanuatu. Vanuatu will test Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), commonly referred to as “drones”, and the services offered by that industry using an important commodity - lifesaving vaccines. Successful applicants are being challenged to demonstrate the value and suitability of the drones in solving a key development issue – the supply of vital vaccines to children in otherwise inaccessible communities. “The Parliament of Vanuatu is proud to be hosting the national launch that will pilot the wide application of the drone technology to solving logistical constraints faced by a small island development state like Vanuatu,” stated Hon. Esmon Saimon, Speaker of Vanuatu Parliament. “I would like to especially acknowledge the Ministries of Public Utilities and Infrastructure and Health for taking the lead on such an important project to help us in delivering vaccines to remote rural communities of Vanuatu,” he added. “UNICEF is excited to work with the Government of Vanuatu to support this initiative. Ensuring vaccines are consistently available in isolated and remote communities is one of the keys to sustaining high rates of immunisation. We welcome innovative measures to ensure that every child is reached,” said UNICEF Pacific Representative, Sheldon Yett. Director General of the Ministry of Health, George Taleo stated, “This is a milestone for Vanuatu. If the trial shows that vaccine delivery using drones can work, and that it can be integrated into our existing national and provincial systems, then it will change the way we operate forever. If it works, we will allow us to better ensure availability of health supplies to our people even at community aid post levels.” Increasing availability, performance and declining cost of drones offer innovative opportunities for applications in challenging environments such as Vanuatu. An archipelago of 83 islands that run 1,600 kilometres north to south, 65 of which are inhabited and around 20 of which have airfields and established roads, Vanuatu faces considerable logistical challenges to reach, engage with and support remote communities. This initiative explores options that allow the government to enhance service delivery and significantly reduce costs as it does not require massive investment in infrastructure and transport. The trial will be conducted in three phases: a technical trial in August when drones will be flying over North Efate Island and scored against various performance criterias; a request for proposal through which vaccines will be delivered to health staff on targeted islands in February and March 2018; and a three to six month use of UAVs in regular provincial deliveries of health supplies later in 2018. The initiative is led by the Government through Ministry of Health and Ministry of Infrastructure & Public Utilities, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund. ### About UNICEF UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicefpacific.org. Follow UNICEF on Twitter and Facebook About the Parliament of Vanuatu The Parliament of Vanuatu was established by the Constitution in 1980. Its functioning is derived from the British Westminster system, and includes the principle of parliamentary supremacy, within the limits of the Constitution. Parliament is composed of 52 members, directly elected by citizens from multi-member constituencies for a four-year term. For more information on the work of the Parliament, visit: https://parliament.gov.vu/ About the Vanuatu Ministry of Health The Vanuatu Ministry of Health is guided by the Vanuatu Health Sector Strategy (2010 – 2016). The mission of the Ministry of Health is to protect and promote the health of all people in Vanuatu. The values it seeks to uphold are consumer focus, equity, quality, integrity and efficiency. Its vision is for an integrated and decentralised health system that promotes efficient and effective and equitable health services for the good health and general wellbeing of all people in Vanuatu. About the Vanuatu Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities The Vanuatu Ministry of Infrastructure & Public Utilities has a vision to effectively contribute to Vanuatu’s social and economic development through provision of professional and efficient transport infrastructure and services. Its mission statement is to provide efficient and effective infrastructure and services related to roads, wharves, airfields, ports, meteorology and geo-hazards, civil aviation, water, power and telecommunications. For more information on the Vanuatu drone challenge and application process, please go to: http://unicefstories.org/drones/vanuatu/  For more information, please contact: Rebecca Olul, UNICEF Vanuatu Field Office, +678 24655, +678 77 666 04, rolul@unicef.org Donna Hoerder, UNICEF Pacific Office, +679 9265518/ +677 21242/ 7424203, dhoerder@unicef.org

Dear TechNet, I hope you can join us during World Immunization Week for a webinar on the challenges of immunizing the urban poor and how the global community can adapt to meet the unique needs of this marginalized and under-served population. Representatives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF will share perspectives. Information is below. Please feel free to to contact with any questions or comments. Thank you,
Diane _________________________________
Webinar: Immunizing the Urban Poor
Monday, April 24, 2017
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT | 3:00 – 4:00 PM GMT This World Immunization Week, tune in to a webinar to raise the profile of an often-neglected issue: immunizing the urban poor. Building on recent urban immunization work with WHO, UNICEF, GAVI, BMGF, and JSI, the panelists will discuss primary barriers for the urban poor to access and use vaccination services, how these barriers can be overcome (with examples from country specific contexts), and the need to build better evidence to help advocacy efforts. By 2050, 66% of the world's population will be urban dwellers, with 90% of this increase occurring in African and Asian cities with fewer than 1,000,000 people. As urban populations continue to grow, the global community must reevaluate its approaches to immunization to meet the needs of the marginalized and under-served urban poor. These changing demographics will require special efforts and approaches for building evidence, advocating with city administrations and donors, involving all stakeholders and communities in service delivery, and developing targeted interventions to prioritize urban poor populations in planning and resource allocation. Expert panelists: Bhupendra Tripathi, country lead – Routine Immunization & Neglected Tropical Diseases, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, India Jan Grevendonk, technical officer, World Health Organization Richard Duncan, senior immunization specialist and Godwin Mindra, immunization specialist, UNICEF Sam Sternin, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gerald Lerebours and Iqbal Hossain, John Snow, Inc. Moderator:
Craig Burgess, senior technical advisor, John Snow, Inc. Please join us with your related challenges and experiences. We anticipate a lively discussion on how existing immunization approaches can be adapted to reach the urban poor. Submit your questions for specific panelists in advance to @JSIHealth with the hashtag #UrbanHealth. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #UrbanHealth. Register now: http://bit.ly/2oXyDeU

Vaccine carrier and Cold box selection tool. Dear Cold Chain colleagues, UNICEF SD has developed a tool which makes the process of selecting Vaccine Carriers or Cold Boxes easier. Please follow the below link to the UNICEFCold chain support package and click on the tab 7. Vaccine Carriers and Cold Boxes. Scroll down to find the tool. Any comments you may have regarding this tool would be much appreciated. Regards Andrew McCourt

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.

Dear colleagues, The Interagency Supply Chain Group (ISG) comprising 15 global agencies, are actively involved in supporting supply chain efforts across all disease areas.The purpose of this group is to provide better coordinated and more effective support to country efforts in ensuring sustainable access to high quality essential health commodities. The group meets quarterly to address priority issues, with technical working groups established for specific focus areas. This includes opportunities to strengthen collaboration at the country level, and leverage institutional support around key technical issues. The ISG has recently published a two-page brochure - find attached - that summarizes a six-country review undertaken by the ISG Secretariat in Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria and Myanmar earlier this year. The review focused on interagency collaboration in supply chains for essential medicines. For more details, please contact Hitesh Hurkchand of the RMNCH Strategy and Coordination Team at hhurkchand@unicef.org Kind regards, Hitesh Hitesh Hurkchand RMNCH Strategy and Coordination Team UNICEF, New York Phone: +1.212.326.7395 Mobile: +1.917.975.9743 Skype: hitesh_h

Recentry published in MMWR: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6545a5.htm and WER:http://www.who.int/wer/2016/wer9146/en/ Global routine vaccination coverage, 2015 Abstract In 1974, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Expanded Program on Immunization* to provide protection against six vaccine-preventable diseases through routine infant immunization (1). Based on 2015 WHO and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates, global coverage with the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP3), the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) and the third dose of polio vaccine (Pol3) has remained stable (84%-86%) since 2010. From 2014 to 2015, estimated global coverage with the second MCV dose (MCV2) increased from 39% to 43% by the end of the second year of life and from 58% to 61% when older age groups were included. Global coverage was higher in 2015 than 2010 for newer or underused vaccines, including rotavirus vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), rubella vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine, and 3 doses of hepatitis B (HepB3) vaccine. Coverage estimates varied widely by WHO Region, country, and district; in addition, for the vaccines evaluated (MCV, DTP3, Pol3, HepB3, Hib3), wide disparities were found in coverage by country income classification. Improvements in equity of access are necessary to reach and sustain higher coverage and increase protection from vaccine-preventable diseases for all persons.

Attached is anewflyer that lists all the online courses available as part of the Immunization eLearning Initiative. This digital learning program wasdeveloped by WHO and UNICEF expertstoprovide knowledge vital toEPI advancement.Everyone working in support of Immunization can participate in the online courses, including staff, SSAs, consultants, partner organizations,MoH, and other interested audiences.Theflyer providesaccess information, including log-in instructions. Some quick facts about the online learning courses: 1) the onlinecourses areavailable 24/7 to everyone; 2) learners can pick and choose which courses to complete -- some take less than one hour; 3) the courses are very engaging and scenario-based; 4) learners can start and stop without losing progress; and 5) certificates are available following successful completion.

A case study has been published to share information about some of the change management and motivational strategies deployed by UNICEF and WHO to support high levels of participation in the Immunization eLearning Initiative. The case study can be helpful for learning leaders looking for ways to increase self-paced training participation. The case study document also includes a checklist to help ensure that learning leaders are considering all the key elements of motivation to support successful training participation. We hope you find this resource beneficial. Remember that everyone working in support of Immunization -- including staff, SSAs, consultants, MoH, and other partners -- can now access the Immunization eLearning Initiative courses on UNICEF's online learning portal, Agora at https://agora.unicef.org/. Simply select login, register as a "guest" and search for keyword "Immunization" to locate all the courses. Start and stop without losing progress. Print or download a certificate following successful completion.

UNICEF is pleased to announce the availability on-line of the “Measles Control in Emergency Settings - (MCES)” course module under the Immunization e-Learning Initiative. This module is an ideal introduction for anyone with interest in immersing themselves in the theory and practicalities of immunization and particularly Measles in the humanitarian emergency context. It is intended to assist public health practitioners to align their knowledge with and be up-to-date on the latest immunization methods and protocols. MCES course is highly user friendly, illustrated, engaging and flexible, and consists of sub-modules covering - measles epidemiology during emergencies, - risk assessment and outbreak investigations. - planning, management and monitoring of mass vaccination campaigns. Once a user has completed the first basic sub-module, subsequent ones can be taken in any order of preference and users can start and stop without losing progression. It includes a certificate of completion at the end. MCES is available both in English and French. Access starts with registration as a guest at https://agora.unicef.org/. (Enter “immunization” in the search window to locate the course). English version: https://agora.unicef.org/course/info.php?id=3771 French version: https://agora.unicef.org/course/info.php?id=6716

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,
A new e-learning course from GPEI is online now at UNICEF/AGORA.
The course is highly recommended to all polio consultants. It will help to build capacity of program managers in handling polio vaccines during supplementary immunization activities (SIA). This dynamic and interactive course builds on the "GPEI/UNICEF Guidance note on Cold Chain Logistics & Vaccine Management during polio SIA" and allows the learner to ‘learn by doing’ through simulated exercises.
On successful completion, learners will be awarded a GPEI certificate. Participants can also download all the resources used in the course for future reference.

Happy e-learning!

Dr. Ahmet Afsar
CCL Specialist, UNICEF/PD/Health (Polio)

As WHO and UNICEF are collecting the JRF for the year 2015, results are showing that there were still 11 countries (out of 53) in the WHO EURO Region declaring not to have a National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) in 2015. Recently, Sweden established its NITAG (http://www.nitag-resource.org/news-and-events/news/82-sweden-establishes-its-nitag), leaving only Italy and Norway as the two High income countries without a NITAG.
More information on NITAGs establishement and strengthening in all WHO regions are published in the NITAG Resource Center. This dedicated platform centralizes all information related to NITAG (recommendations, agenda, background documents) as well as scientific articles on immunization.

I was recently looking at the “System Sizing tool 3/3” in a 2DI3 “Technical evaluation and Methodology” a unicef publication. The publication originated from a 2DI3 SDD industry meeting. The sizing method prescribed is based on the premise that “the daily potential solar energy supply is calculated as the number of sunshine hours 1000 W/m2 multiplied with the corrected power output.” The compressor of an SDD refrigerator requires about 70 watts to run and start. When the output of the solar array is below 70 watts no useable energy is collected. If for example the refrigerator is connected to a solar array with an actual output (corrected for dust and other losses) of 300 watts the output of the array may not go above 70 watts for a 1.5 hour solar day. From the method in section 3/3 the calculated useable energy collected will be 300 watts x 1.5hr or 450 watt hrs. This result would be correct for a battery based system however zero useable energy would be collected for an SDD system with this sizing method the errors are particularly large when sizing is most critical, during periods of low insolation. Manufacturers apparently know about the failure in this sizing method because the arrays they are incorporating are about 3x larger than the arrays suggested by this method. If any one knows if there is a sizing method for SDD systems currently being suggested by WHO please let me know.

Dear Supply Chain Managers and Friends, A few days ago, I conducted a supervisory visit to a health post in Senegal to check the implementation of the "Informed Push Model" project (IPM), which I have lead since last August, and which has been distributing family planning products (9 to 11 products depending on Regions) to all public health service delivery points (SDPs) across the country since 2013. Starting in October 2015, we added 17 United Nations Life Saving Commodities for maternal and child health as well as seven products from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis public health programs. We also added vaccines in the region of Saint-Louis to continue the legacy of the former Project Optimize. Within IPM, we are focused on the health post pharmacy store, and its manager. So I went with my team and visited the depot of a rural health post in the District and Region of Fatick. The visit took nearly three hours, and as when my team and I were leaving—as I was already crossing the gate—I remembered; vaccines! Immunization. The vaccine fridge. I stopped abruptly, turned back and looked for the head nurse in order to take a look in the fridge. When I came back to the car, while the other team members were chatting, I was silently remembering my 17-year WHO experience, during which I had visited hundreds of centers and health posts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and even the Pacific Islands. I was interested only in the vaccines, the fridges, vaccination syringes and their destruction after use. I do not remember ever once going to check the pharmacy store that received, stored and managed medicines and other health products for all other healthcare services provided in health centers and health posts, including contraceptives for family planning! How was this possible? How could I have been wearing blinders for 17 years that only let me see immunization, vaccines, syringes and nothing else? I felt ashamed of myself! I imagined the poor nurses someday receiving "supervisory-monitoring-evaluation" teams from immunization programs; the next day, those from family planning programs; two days later, those of the malaria programs…then those from the HIV/ AIDS; then those from the tuberculosis program, then IMCI, then neglected tropical diseases, etc., etc.! And each of those teams was coming with its own requirements, its own data tables to fill, stressing its own deadlines, requiring the clinical staff attend its own training programs. And I was ashamed of the health system! How can we work in such a fragmented manner, each of us with own blinders, each of us in his/her own silo? And will it continue with every new global initiative? However, there is a glimmer of hope: During the rest of my supervisory visits, I checked fridges in four other health posts; they all contained products other than vaccines! What was a “crime de lèse-majesté” some time ago, now seems to be accepted as quite normal. This should encourage us to open our eyes. (See the WHO-UNICEF joint statement on integrating cold chain: http://www.unicef.org/health/files/EPI_cold_chain_WHO_UNICEF_joint_statement_A4_rev2_5-14-15_(3).pdf) In Ouidah, Benin, the Regional Public Health Institute trains "health logisticians" (LogiVac). But are we sure that when the trainees go back home, they do not become logisticians of particular programs? I recently saw a UNICEF post publication that was called "Essential Health and Immunization Commodity Specialist '! Then I smiled as I was remembering two things: The first one is the series of 27 training modules prepared by WHO in 1984, which I came across when I joined WHO in 1995: it was called “Logistics and Cold Chain for Primary Health Care”! In addition to vaccines it covered contraceptives, essential drugs, malaria supplies and ORS. The second is a phrase I read in an article written by Lee Weng Choy in “The Nation” on 16 September 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand: “The dreaming of what is to come is seemingly what is to come back!” Those of us working in health supply chains must remember to look back often in order to carry forward with us the good things of the past and use them to build the foundation of the future. As George Orwell once said: “He who controls the past, controls the future.” We must think across programs, holistically. Even if the supply chains we work in are not integrated, we owe it to our clients and patients and fellow health care workers to be integrated in our thinking and in our actions. Integration starts with each of us. Good morning, good day, good evening depending on where you are! Modibo Dakar

The final report of the “Briefing on WHO Tools and Guidance on Immunization Data Quality and Vaccination Coverage Survey” that took place in Istanbul in December 2015 is now available. The Executive summary is pasted below. Please feel free to share. Executive Summary From 1 to 4 December 2015, 68 representatives of Ministries of Health, National Statistics Offices and national institutes from five regions of the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, scientific institutions, independent consultants, non-governmental organisations and partners met in Istanbul, Turkey, with the objective to Present new tools developed by WHO on immunization data quality and the new Vaccination Coverage Cluster Survey Reference Manual Train participants, including potential consultants or academic or similar organizations able to provide technical assistance, on one of the following tracks: immunization data quality and vaccination coverage survey planning and implementation. In recent years, the importance of using high quality data both to improve immunization programme performance and to monitor the results has been highlighted, for example following the roll-out and annual assessments of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). Also, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, now requires countries applying for all types of Gavi support to conduct: an annual desk review of immunization data periodic in-depth assessments of routine administrative vaccination coverage data and periodic nationally representative vaccination coverage surveys. Given this background, over the next few years, it is expected that there will be an increased need for guidance and technical assistance to assess the quality of country immunization data and produce actionable data improvement plans, as well as to implement vaccination coverage surveys using the revised WHO Vaccination Coverage Cluster Survey Reference Manual. This Briefing was the first of such activities and aimed at sharing the new materials and tools, seeking expert advice to complete those materials related to data quality, sharing best practices among participants and thinking critically about the design of a vaccination coverage survey in a given country, from survey protocol design, to implementation and interpretation of results.

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

UNICEF has launched an Innovation Fund (first-ever in the UN) to channel the energies of private sector, civil society and academia in support of strategic innovations for children. The initiative will fund early-stage technical start-ups to support innovations in infrastructure (access to services and information incl. connectivity, power, finance, sensors and transport), products for youth, and real-time information for decision-making and governance. This is a relevant, timely opportunity to reach out to our networks and leverage this funding to support regional and country-level institutions in developing innovations in information systems, sustainable energy, transport, temperature and stock management for immunization. For more information please consulthttp://www.unicefinnovationfund.org/

As some of view may know, Unicef WCARO is undertaking an inventory of LMIS uses for EPI. All levels of the supply chain will be assessed and the inventory will cover all kind of tools: systems, softwares, excel spreadsheets, stock cards, forms, etc. Immediate objectives of the landscape are to: Identify redundant, fragmented and inadequate systems; Sort systems used according to domains/activities covered and data collected/created; Provide a comprehensive regional strategy for LMIS improvements; Provide the countries a catalog of solutions tailored to their specific needs enabling them to achieve their strategic objectives and enhance the efficiency of their supply chain; The long-term objectives are to: Provide a roadmap of maturity levels and steps for improvement that countries can use to inform their plans for purposeful investments (CMYP); Develop a common view and align partners around a common plan to develop country health information systems; Develop cross-countries standards.. More details (sorry, only in french for the time being) in the concept paper attached. Please feel free to share any advise and concern.