Bringing innovation to immunization supply systems in Viet Nam
Pioneering for the future
With the expansion of electrical, telecommunication, and transportation networks in Viet Nam, the country is well poised to modernize its immunization supply system. Project Optimize, a collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH, and Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology are working together to test new technologies and system designs that will support an immunization supply system expansion while also building a national long-term vision for immunization services.
Initially, efforts focused on the identification of the strengths and challenges of the supply and logistics systems of the country’s National Expanded Program on Immunization (NEPI) to better understand how the system could be improved. Demonstration projects were then designed in collaboration with Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health and NEPI to build upon the program’s capabilities and help manage the growing vaccination landscape. As these demonstration projects are implemented in 13 provinces, work is ongoing to develop a long-term vision for the country’s immunization supply systems.
Work in Viet Nam includes the following activities:
- Introduction of long-term passive cooling devices for vaccine storage in commune-level health centers.
- Introduction of battery-free solar refrigerators in district-level health centers for vaccine cooling without reliance on the electric grid.
- Implementation of electronic vaccine tracking and immunization reporting through a new information system utilizing both web and mobile networks.
- Introduction of a digital immunization registry to increase the accuracy and timeliness of immunization records.
- Collaboration with NEPI as it adopts more rigorous procedures and training to improve vaccine management.
- Collaboration with POLYVAC, a vaccine manufacturer and the Viet Nam Ministry of Health to encourage the use of vaccine vial monitors (VVMs) on measles vaccine as well as training and technical support on VVM use.
- Comparison of costs and benefits of the existing vaccine supply chain with potential interventions such as those described above.