Abstract

In several developing countries, there is scant information on the monitoring, follow-up and efficacity of vaccination programs. Moreover, vaccination coverage can change significantly from one region to another, or even within the same region. Consequently, it is essential to identify incompletely vaccinated children so that they do not become a reservoir of disease. This project will study the usefulness of the software IDEA-VAC in managing vaccination activities in two countries with different cultural and organizational characteristics: Mali and Nicaragua. The methodology will be based on pre- and post-testing experimental and control groups in two districts in each country. The results will allow managers to better identify bottlenecks in their programs and identify the changes required to make the system function more effectively and efficiently. Once proven, the tool can be distributed and adapted to the needs of other countries facing similar problems.

Post-Project Summary

In Nicaragua, the study was conducted at two rural sites of the Sistema locale de Atención Integral a la Salud (SILAIS) of Leon, namely El Sauce (case study) and Mantica Berio (control group). El Sauce had a population of 27 000, with an expected annual birth rate of 990, while Mantica Berio had 70 000 people with an expected annual birth rate of 2 800. Based on results after 12 months of independent operation (post-test), use of the IDEA-VAC informatics tool had a positive impact on management of the vaccination program in the intervention zone, in terms of the quality of information available within the program as well as the rate of coverage for all vaccines. With respect to acceptability, the IDEA-VAC system enjoyed great acceptance from the outset, and was still in operation at the time the final report was prepared (i.e. two years after implementation). It has been used in a very original way for malaria surveillance and for monitoring pregnant women, and has been tested and implemented in 10 neighbouring zones. In Mali, it was not possible to confirm or reject the research hypothesis because of local circumstances, shortcomings in the existing information system and project management. The presentation sheet on IDEA-VAC is found in Annex 1 to the final project report.

Recipient Institution(s)