Group photo of eHealth Africa's training team, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) training team, State Train the Trainers representatives, and other stakeholders following the EMID cascade training in Ebonyi State.
Since March 2022, eHealth Africa (eHA) has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of the Electronic Management of Immunization Data (EMID) System in Nigeria. This project, funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), is in partnership with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA). The goal is to streamline immunization data management at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) across the country, improving vaccination scheduling, real-time data entry, and the overall process of data collation, analysis, and validation.
Dayo Akinleye, a technical Project Manager at eHealth Africa and a member of the EMID project implementation team, shared insights on the progress made. "The EMID app has been optimized significantly ," he said. "We've introduced several new features, such as the integration of a dedicated Routine Immunization (RI) module, liveness detection, geo-fencing, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), real-time help desk support, and overall enhancements to the app's user-friendliness."
Following these improvements, eHealth Africa and NPHCDA, with support from Data-Fi, initiated a comprehensive training for health workers across Nigeria's 36 states, 774 local government areas, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The series of trainings, recently conducted in several states including Kogi, Nassarawa, and Ebonyi states, were meant to familiarize healthcare professionals with the updated EMID native app.
James Gambo, a Data Processing Officer with NPHCDA and a member of the training team, emphasized the app's evolution and the significance of the training. "Originally designed for COVID-19 vaccination data, the EMID app now includes a module for routine immunization. It eliminates paper-based records, allowing immediate data access at the NPHCDA headquarters. We're conducting nation-wide training to ensure all users are proficient with the app," he explained. The training strategy involves National Training of Trainers (NTOT), who go on to lead the training at the State level. The State Training of Trainers (STOT) comprises LGA EMID Focal persons and the State EMID teams. After the STOT, the LGA EMID Focal Persons then go on to train the recorders at the LGA levels with oversight from both eHealth Africa and NPHCDA/State teams. The hands-on training has received positive feedback, and we've observed participants adeptly navigating the app during the training.
Christopher Nwodom, the Ebonyi State Immunization Officer (SIO), also shared his thoughts. "The EMID native app has revolutionized immunization data collection. It's not just about moving away from paper; it's also about ensuring data accuracy. This training will undoubtedly enhance the skills of EMID focal persons in recording and uploading data in real time," he remarked.
Nwonu Victor Onyedikachi, an EMID recorder who underwent the training, expressed his enthusiasm for the new app. "I find the new EMID native app incredibly user-friendly, efficient, and responsive. The added features have made my experience even more enjoyable," he stated.
Once the training phase is completed, an official launch and deployment date for the new EMID native app will be announced. This marks a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts of GAVI, NPHCDA, and eHealth Africa to enhance health data collection, recording, synchronization, and storage in Nigeria.
