Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network | 04 Aug 2020

Why in News

The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) is being used by the State/UT governments in India to monitor the supply chain of Covid response material.

  • This has been used with the requisite customization during the Covid pandemic for ensuring continuation of the essential immunization services.

Key Points

  • About: It is an indigenously developed technology system that digitizes vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a smartphone application.
  • Objective: It is aimed at strengthening immunization supply chain systems across the country.
    • eVIN aims to support the Government of India’s Universal Immunization Programme by providing real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures across all cold chain points in these states.
  • Implemented by: It is being implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
  • The integrated solution combines:
    • Technology : Online real-time information on vaccine stocks and storage temperature to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.
    • Governance: Systemizing record keeping, upgrading logistics and encouraging good practices to ensure efficient vaccine logistics management.
    • Human Resources: To empower the state cold chain network by building the capacities of handlers and managers at each stage of vaccine supply.

Universal Immunization Programme

  • It was launched by the government in 1985, to prevent mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
  • Under UIP free of cost vaccination is provided against twelve vaccine-preventable diseases i.e. Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia , Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea.
  • The programme is one of the largest health programmes in the world. Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% of children under 1 year of age.

Way Forward

  • This strong platform has the potential to be leveraged for any new vaccine including COVID-19 vaccine, as and when available.
  • eVIN can be a powerful contribution to strengthening health systems and ensuring equity through easy and timely availability of vaccines to all children, pregnant mothers and other vulnerable groups.
  • eVIN can be upscaled to build VALUE (Vaccine and Logistics Utilisation Evaluator), which is a held device for capturing the data of vaccines administered, to monitor reach till the last-mile beneficiaries.
  • It can help to fully automate the process of indenting and supplying vaccines based on historic actual consumption of vaccines and forecasting.

Source: PIB