DHIS2 developed a toolkit, which aims to integrate digital solutions for the distribution and shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. So far, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, they have installed 30 immunization modules around the world.
Las herramientas de Digital Healthtools, such as telehealth and telemedicine, have been of crucial relevance in some regions around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the fact that remote consultations have been around for years, this year they took on special relevance due to the situations already known. In addition to remote consultations through digital media or telecommunications, there are other Digital Health tools that have stood out this year. For example, the tools for tracking contacts through mobile devices, exposure alerts or useful applications for monitoring and reporting symptoms.
On the other hand, there are the more complex tools that involve artificial intelligence, for example, for vaccine development or those that also involve data science. As for the vaccine, besides its development, one of the great challenges is the distribution and application, another of the problems that have been addressed by Digital Health.
The District Health Information Software (DHIS2), is an open-source software, for the management of health information systems that offers solutions to the challenges of massive and accelerated distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. DHIS2 has developed a set of tools for vaccine administration, which will allow vaccine strategy managers in each country to have up-to-date control over immunization data.
“Our focus is on integrating digital solutions for COVID-19 vaccine delivery into national DHIS2-based immunization systems and strengthening these systems for sustainable impact across all aspects of vaccine preventable disease interventions”, as mentioned on the DHIS2 website about their COVID-19 vaccine toolkit.
The DHIS2 tools outline responds to World Health Organization (WHO) Guidance on National Deployment and Vaccination Planning:
- Measuring uptake, coverage, equitable distribution, by geography and among risk groups DHIS2 has an EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization) module for data on the new COVID-19 vaccines to add data from routine facilities on vaccines, waste, cold chain, among others.
- Supply chain availability and traceability of vaccines to health centers:DHIS2 offers a module for facility logistics data, health logistics metadata and bar code or QR code scanning capability.
- Ensure that people can be monitored throughout the cycle of the multi-dose regimen:The software provides an electronic record of immunizations, for both longitudinal and individual tracking.
- Provide a personal immunization record/certificate:DHIS2 features electronic health certificates integrated into digital immunization records.
- Distribution strategies and distribution approaches:Monitoring of mass vaccination campaigns adapted to the new COVID-19 distribution strategies
- Monitoring vaccine safety:For these, DHIS2 has a post-vaccination adverse event tracker (AEFI), approved by WHO.
In addition to the new functionalities adapted to the context of COVID-19, DHIS2 has other key tools such as mobile data capture through Android applications. Interoperability through APIs that allows major software vendors.
Currently 36 countries have installed the COVID-19 DHIS2 toolkit, and 15 are in development. However, in Latin America, only Colombia and Honduras are in that group of countries. Most of the countries that already operate this software are in Africa.
