1 April 2022

COVID-19 innovations and digital applications for routine immunisation

This Technical Brief provides a summary and review of experiences with new and adapted digital solutions for COVID-19 vaccine delivery at the global, regional and country level to ensure that the lessons, challenges and successful application of digital health information innovations are captured as part of Gavi’s Digital Health Information Strategy.

The COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine roll-out have created new opportunities, interest and applications of digital tools in response to the global health emergency. Many countries have adapted existing digital health information technologies and tools or developed new ones to facilitate the planning, delivery and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines for improving stock visibility, tracking vaccine recipients, understanding community demand and generating vaccine certificates. The pandemic has also highlighted a number of bottlenecks and persistent gaps in immunisation programme digital health information technologies and in the enabling environment. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, recognises the need to build on successes and lessons learned from COVID-19 innovations and digital applications, not only for future health emergencies but for routine childhood immunisation programmes as well. Drawing from recent project reports, documented country experiences and Gavi’s Digital Health Information prioritisation, the document provides recommendations for capturing and applying COVID-19 digital applications to future digital health investments.

# Digital-Health-Information, digital health, data , COVID-19 innovations, digital applications, digital tools, immunisation, planning, delivery and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines, stock visibility, tracking vaccine recipients, understanding community demand, generating vaccine certificates

1 April 2022

Sub-national multi-source data for immunisation programme decision-making

This Technical Brief provides a review of the state of evidence and experiences with sub-national data use for decision-making, identifies gaps and makes recommendations to inform the development of Gavi’s Digital Health Information Strategy.

Sub-national and district-level immunisation programme managers have the local knowledge and understanding to improve immunisation coverage, identify missed settlements, target areas for action and optimise immunisation planning and service delivery to reach all children within their catchment area. Digital and electronic systems create opportunities to share and analyse relevant data to facilitate rapid decisionmaking and action. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has identified district-level data for immunisation decision making as one of six priority areas for digital health information investment that will contribute to the successful achievement of Gavi’s 5.0 strategic goals. This document examines the evidence, experiences and applications of digital tools to support sub-national decision-making including planning, data collection, processing, analysis, sharing and feedback. Drawing from literature, evidence, key informant interviews and Gavi’s DHI prioritisation exercise, the document provide recommendations as well.  

# Digital-Health-Information, digital health, data, sub-national, decision-making, data-use, data-planning, data-collection, data-processing, data-analysis, data-sharing, data-feedback

1 April 2022

Increasing demand for immunisation, preventing and reducing loss to follow-up, and promoting community engagement through the effective use of digital health interventions

This Technical Brief provides a summary of how digital health information (DHI) and related technologies can improve immunisation completion and reduce loss to follow-up to inform the development of Gavi’s Digital Health Information Strategy. Immunisation programmes are tasked with delivering life-saving vaccines for all children. This responsibility requires immunisation programmes to respond to community needs and concerns, reduce barriers that limit caregiver access and provide respectful, quality services so that individuals and communities have a positive attitude about vaccines, the services available to them and actively seek out and advocate for immunisation. Digital health information (DHI) systems and technologies can be applied in a variety of ways to help improve immunisation uptake by encouraging community demand and improving the service delivery experience.

Immunisation demand is influenced by layers of complex factors that contribute to successful and complete immunisation. One component involves the identification, tracking and retention of children to ensure that they receive the recommended schedule of vaccinations on time. Digital health information tools and technologies can help immunisation completion and reduce loss to follow-up by engaging and supporting caregivers as well as improving the quality of services provided. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has prioritised immunisation demand and community engagement as one of the six areas for digital health information investment to support the successful achievement of Gavi’s 5.0 strategic goals. Drawing from the literature, reports and documented country experiences, the documents provides recommendations for both Gavi Alliance Members and other partners to support country programmes.

# Digital-Health-Information, immunisation, digital health, data, demand, vaccine hesitancy, loss to follow-up

1 April 2022

Gender and digital health information in immunisation programming

This Technical Brief provides a summary of the state of evidence and priority areas for investment and attention at the intersection of gender, immunisation and digital health and data that have been used to inform the development of Gavi’s Digital Health Information Strategy, which includes gender intentional strategies, outcomes, outputs, and inputs for global and country consideration and action.

Digital Health Information (DHI) applications can support immunisation programme functions, facilitate decision-making and provide a direct link of communication and engagement between caregivers, the community and the immunisation programme. DHI tools and applications can also provide an opportunity to understand and analyse data on gender-related indicators and can serve as an opening to promote gender equity, agency and decision-making power for marginalised groups. However, the cultural contexts and gender dynamics that surround digital health for immunisation adoption and use affect men, women, children and gender-diverse people differently.

With the growing gender digital divide, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, recognises the importance of a gender-intentional lens for all digital health and data interventions in immunisation programming to ensure that every child receives the full course of life-saving vaccines. Drawing from the literature and key informants to align with Gavi’s DHI Priorities, the document provides recommendations for collective action by Gavi Alliance Members, Gavi-supported countries, and other partners.

# Digital-Health-Information, gender, immunisation, digital health, data, gender-related indicators, gender digital divide, gender-intentional lens

1 April 2022

Timely detection of vaccine-preventable diseases for targeted vaccination and outbreak response

This Technical Brief provides a review of the state of evidence and experiences with DHI-enabled VPD surveillance, identifies gaps and makes recommendations to inform the development of Gavi’s Digital Health Information Strategy

Digital Health Information (DHI) applications can help facilitate data capture, sharing, analysis and visualisation of information related to the surveillance and outbreaks of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs). The digitisation of VPD data can be used to trigger rapid outbreak response, enhanced immunisation activities and identify priority pathogens targeted for action. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has identified digital health information systems that enable timely VPD data capture, sharing, analysis, and visualisation linked to decentralised testing and electronic case reporting as a priority area for country support in the coming 5 years. Building on progress and advances in aggregate electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) and VPD case-based surveillance systems, Gavi will support countries to more efficiently and rapidly target vaccination efforts in response to detected VPD outbreaks through VPD data exchange applications. Drawing from the literature, key informants, Gavi’s DHI prioritisation exercise and Gavi board priorities, the following priority steps are recommended for Gavi and Alliance Members.

# Digital-Health-Information, immunisation, digital health, data, Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) surveillance, outbreak, decentralised testing, electronic case based surveillance, aggregate electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response

Last updated: 1 Apr 2022

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