Software for national level vaccine cold chain management

Authors:
Richard Anderson;John Lloyd;Sophie Newland
Affiliations:
University of Washington, Seattle, WA;PATH, Ferney, France;PATH, Seattle, WA
Venue:
Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development
Year:
2012

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Abstract

This paper describes the process of introducing software for managing vaccine cold chain equipment to the ministries of health in several countries. The software, Cold Chain Equipment Manager (CCEM), is used to maintain a country wide inventory of vaccine refrigerators and cold rooms, and provides analysis and forecasting capabilities. The paper examines the characteristics of software used at the national level and the role of multiple stakeholders in adoption and use of systems. Based on deployment of the system in countries in Africa and Latin America, and interviews with immunization program officers, we conclude that this type of software can meet country needs in planning a more efficient vaccine cold chain and increasing system transparency provided that it is situated is a broader system committed to strengthening immunization programs.