Getting Vaccinations on Time

By Hawa Kombian

One of the primary challenges facing routine immunization (RI) in northern Nigeria is a poor vaccine supply chain system which causes consistently high stock out levels. High stock out levels occur when vaccines are not delivered on time and are exacerbated by limited cold chain equipment (CCE) to keep the vaccinations viable. High stock out levels cause low RI coverage because there are fewer vaccines available when needed.

eHealth Africa (eHA) was engaged as a third-party logistics (3PL) supplier to provide a solution for this problem and the Vaccine Direct Delivery (VDD) program was the clear answer to streamline vaccine and dry goods delivery supply chain to CCE equipped health facilities. VDD works by:

One of the terrain challenges encountered by eHA's officers

• Leveraging eHA’s geographic and information systems (GIS) capabilities to optimize delivery routes (including rugged terrain as pictured), reduce cost and maximize efficiency.

• Collecting, analyzing and reporting data to provide custom delivery workflow support through a near real-time electronic data collection application - Logistics Management Information Systems (LoMIS) for stock level summaries via an integrated reporting dashboard.

VDD is a proven and effective model which enhances the efficiency and quality of Nigeria’s vaccine supply chain network. In collaboration with partners, VDD is implemented by eHA across some of Nigeria’s northern states specifically, Kano, Bauchi, and Sokoto. The program has had a proven and large-scale effect across northern Nigeria. The project has succeeded in improving both access and availability of healthcare for underserved populations, by enhancing the local vaccine supply chain network. It ensures that key and priority antigens are available, as evidenced by the low stock out rates, and are a major contributor to improved RI, especially for children's health. 

World Immunization Week: VaxTrac - helping health workers provide vaccines in Sierra Leone

By Musa Bernard Komeh and Uche Ajene

Through routine immunization programs, health workers bring life-saving vaccines to people around the world. At eHealth Africa, we work  with our partners to increase vaccination rates in the countries we work in. In Sierra Leone, one of the ways we do this is via VaxTrac.

VaxTrac at work in the Macauley Street Government Hospital, Freetown

VaxTrac, is a clinic-based vaccination registry system which health workers can use in the field to enroll children and track their immunization records. It eliminates the need for paper-based cohort books, tally sheets, and monthly reporting forms and improves health workers accuracy and efficiency.

With the introduction of VaxTrac technology into the routine immunizations activity of  Sierra Leone’s Western Area Urban, significant contribution has been made with a view to improving on quality, timely, and useful  immunization data. eHA VaxTrac currently covers 50 health facilities including the biggest and only children’s referral hospital in Sierra Leone.

One of the key features of  VaxTrac is that health workers can easily access information on defaulters which can be used for defaulter tracing activity during their outreach programs within  the communities they serve. Priority areas within the Western Urban Area have been identified which will further strengthen processes and contribute to the success of the project. This was based on lessons learned and data collected from 2016-2017.

eHA further commits to:

• Working closely with the District Health Management Team of Western Area Urban to ensure regular and more structured outreach programs that will target defaulters

• Sharing of facility performance to in-charges so they know where improvement should be made to achieve higher coverage

• Training of more health workers on the use of VaxTrac

• Modifying of the VaxTrac software to increase user friendliness and usefulness.

“In 2017, a total of  39,101 children were registered on VaxTrac. We have plans for more efficient and impactful work in 2018.”

— Musa Bernard Komeh, Project Supervisor, VaxTrac

At eHA, we know #VaccinesWork and we look forward to successful outcomes with increased immunization coverage and a reduction in defaulter numbers.

eHealth Africa helping #VaccinesWork with Vaccination Tracking Systems

By Uche Ajene and Abdul Yakubu

As we mark World Immunization Week and African Vaccination Week, the eHealth Africa (eHA) team is very proud to be part of the global team working to end polio in Nigeria.

One of the interventions we participate in is the Immunization Plus Days (IPDs). We use geospatial technology and data to support the governments and our partners for immunization activities to contribute to the eradication polio in Nigeria with the vaccination tracking systems (VTS) technology and program.

VTS works by tracking geo-coordinates visited by vaccinators giving the oral polio vaccine during IPDs campaigns, to monitor their activities. These geo-coordinates are compared against already mapped settlements to ensure 100% coverage during immunization campaigns. Our team provides support by providing the application and technical support to local government area teams during these periodic IPDs campaigns. We are working to increase the number of children under 5, vaccinated against polio to interrupt the of transmission of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in Nigeria.

Recently our teams participated in IPD campaigns in a number of states Nigeria, including Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. Click through our slide show below as Abdul, one of our project field officers, shares his journey of the recently concluded IPDs campaign in Adamawa state.

Setting out

Final check in before leaving eHA Kano campus

Arrival in Mubi!

eHA team with our partners from the World Health Organization (WHO), Adamawa State and LGA health workers.

Everything we need

Offloading the equipment we need for the next few days

Powered Up

These power charging stations are essential to our success. We ensure that each vaccinator has a fully charged device every day to capture all the data from the field.

Briefing session

Frequent meetings with our partners to agree on daily plans, set goals and work out any issues that may arise

Analysis

We have one on one meetings with out state partners. Here I meet with the state technical facilitator to discuss the coverage percentage of the day and plan for the next dau

Heading back

After another successful IPD campaign, we’re now ready to head to Yola then back to Kano.

Post-Ebola Liberia: eHealth Africa strengthens laboratories in readiness for future infectious disease outbreak

Prior to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014, the Liberia public health laboratory system had weak capacity to detect, report and respond to public health emergencies. In order to fulfill our mission to build stronger health systems, eHealth Africa (eHA) supported Liberia’s laboratory system from 2014 - 2018. eHA’s lab support program has improved effectiveness of the laboratory system by providing human capacity support for four years, as well as improved electronic submission of lab reports by providing internet connectivity at priority labs (ELWA, Redemption, LIBR & Bong) since 2014.

Test samples in an eHA supported priority lab in Liberia

The Bong lab is situated at the Phebe Hospital Compound, Bong County. In October 2014, it was one of the regional laboratories selected by Liberia’s Ministry of Health (MOH), the United States Navy (US Navy) and other partners for testing suspected Ebola samples as part of the fight against the 2014 West Africa EVD outbreak. The Bong lab and other identified priority labs faced a few similar capacity challenges, including the lack of skilled staff, lack of adequate equipment and poor internet connectivity. eHA provided lab support by developing technology for capturing of lab data, provided internet connectivity to enable the labs submit the data electronically and also provided human capacity support, including recruitment and training of lab desk officers.

Roberto Koimenee is one of the four lab desk officers that eHA worked with via the laboratory support program. He is deployed at Bong Lab to enter Ebola virus disease (EVD) data and report daily samples test results to the Liberia’s Ministry of Health and eHealth Africa.

From Roberto
‘’I got involved with eHealth Africa-Liberia through an application and CV submission during the Ebola outbreak in September, 2014 in Liberia. I was called by eHA for an interview which was followed by training as a Lab Desk Officer. I was assigned to Bong EVD Lab. I was motivated to work in the lab because I wanted to help in the fight against Ebola in Liberia. Since eHealth is a technology driven company, with my knowledge in data management, I decided to help in this fight against Ebola by entering data from samples tested and submit report for decision making at the National level.

I have more than eight years of experience as an Administrative staff and four years of experience as a data officer at eHealth Africa-Liberia, where I have won some performance awards. I love managing database and solving data issues. I am a person who thrives to work out things when it’s difficult to do and work independently to solve complicated problems”, he explains.  

I participated in a three-day training conducted by eHA and this training impacted my life and work by increasing my knowledge in the following topics: Sample handling storage, and processing; Confidentiality/Document control, Data entry and analysis. Today, I know how to control and secure patient information and report accurate and reliable results to requisite and identified individuals responsible to receive said information or results.

The part of the training I like the most was the off-line tracker although it has not been fully utilized by Bong Lab. The off-line tracker is so unique in that it tracks all data or information in all the four (4) regional labs in the country (Liberia). Each lab can see and access information including reports/results of specimen tested. This system can be used without internet. However, that training especially the off-line tracker needs to be fully utilized for the safety, reliable and secure of lab information/data.

Although I worked with other institutions before eHealth Africa came to Liberia, but life was not too good for me and my family. My salary was too small to cover all my expenses including undertaking house construction project. But after I was employed by eHA, my salary was encouraging that enable me and my family to live better life.’’

Roberto’s wife, Christiana Hne Koimenee, believes her husband made a good decision working for eHA in the fight against Ebola in Liberia, even though she expressed fear over her husband doing one of the riskiest jobs, and comes to the conclusion it was worth it.

“‘’It was sad and worrisome for individuals like my husband to be at the frontline to test Ebola specimen. But it was also historical for him and those who stood firm to help in the process of fighting Ebola in Liberia.”
”

— Christiana Hne Koimenee

Roberto Koimenee and family