Equipment monitoring system (EMS) is a set of WHO PQS specifications that enable standardized, interoperable collection of cold chain equipment (CCE) performance data. It aims to make those data available to service technicians, health facility workers, and optionally to remote viewers or to aggregate reporting. EMS will be a WHO PQS requirement for solar direct drive (SDD) vaccine refrigerators and ice-lined refrigerators (ILRs) from 2026.
This page lists key resources and publications on EMS, organised into the following sections:
A full list of EMS content on TechNet, including forum discussions, can be found here.
Introduction to EMS
| Title | Author | Year | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Monitoring Systems (EMS) - Video overview | New Horizons | 2025 | Training | English |
Using temperature data
| Title | Author | Year | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strengthening Data Use for Cold Chain Performance Monitoring | UNICEF | 2025 | Guidance | English |
| Using Temperature Data to Solve Cold-Chain Equipment Problems | Immunization Academy | 2017 | Training | English, Hausa, Swahili, French |
| How to monitor temperatures in the vaccine supply chain | UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) | 2015 | Guidance | English, French |
| Cold Chain Temperature Data Job Aid | JSI, PATH, VillageReach, New Horizons | 2025 | Guidance | English |
Webinars on EMS
| Title | Author | Date | Language | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Monitoring Systems (EMS): The future of interactive cold chain performance monitoring | Omileye Toyobo, Karuna Luthra, Isaac Gobina, Denise Habimana, Brian Pal | 2021-12-02 | English | EMS, Performance monitoring, PQS |
Webinars on temperature monitoring
| Title | Author | Date | Language | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data at your fingertips: how to best use your 30 Day Temperature Recorder (30DTR) data | Amos Chweya, Brian Pal, Jacobus Schoevers, Wendy Prosser | 2021-11-18 | English | Data quality, Temperature monitoring |
| Surveillance de la température et gestion des performances des équipements de la chaîne du froid (16ème Conférence TechNet) | Ngwegwe Bulula, Ernest Some, Brian Pal, Abubakar Sani | 2020-10-20 | French | Temperature monitoring |
| Temperature monitoring and performance management of cold chain equipment– two complementary approaches (16th TechNet Conference) | Ngwegwe Bulula, Ernest Some, Brian Pal, Abubakar Sani | 2020-10-20 | English | Temperature monitoring |
| Where are we with temperature monitoring of cold chain? | Wendy Prosser, Ranjit Dhiman, Jalia Nanfuka | 2021-11-11 | English | Temperature monitoring |
| RTMDs: How to get the most out of your real-time temperature monitoring data | Ranjit Dhiman, Nwajide Chidiebele Ifeoma, Jalia Nanfuka, Jacobus Schoevers, Mohammed Wazir Sadiqi, Bonaventura Nestory, Alex Mbyalu, Abdul Mateen Husainkhil | 2021-11-25 | English | Temperature monitoring |
| Connecting the dots: Using CCE temperature monitoring data to improve cold chain systems and maintenance practices | Karan Sagar, Michelle Seidel, Souleymane Kone | 2021-12-09 | English | Data quality, Performance monitoring, Temperature monitoring |
PQS documents on EMS
| Title | Author | Year | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHO PQS performance specifications for EMS | WHO PQS | 2025 | Guidance | English |
| WHO PQS Introduction to EMS | WHO PQS | 2023 | Presentation | English |
| WHO PQS frequently asked questions on EMS | WHO PQS | 2023 | Guidance | English |
Procurement of EMS-enabled products
| Title | Author | Year | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform Technology Guide (2023) | Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance | 2023 | User guide | English |
| Cold chain support package - Procurement guidelines - Solar direct-drive vaccine refrigerators and freezers | UNICEF | 2020 | Training | English |
| Cold Chain Equipment Programme and Technology Guide (2026) | Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance | 2026 | Guidance | English, French |