India’s Common Immunisation Programme is among the many largest of its type on the planet, reaching an estimated 29 million pregnant ladies and 26 million newborns yearly. As a longstanding associate of the Ministry of Well being and Household Welfare (MoHFW), the United Nations Growth Programme (UNDP) has performed a key position in supporting the federal government’s efforts to strengthen last-mile supply and improve the effectivity of vaccine distribution programs. On the event of World Immunisation Week (April 24–30), The Hindu spoke with Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Consultant of UNDP India, in regards to the transformative position of digital platforms just like the Digital Vaccine Intelligence Community (eVIN) and U-WIN, in addition to the launch of a brand new community-based initiative — the Neighborhood of Apply for Demand (CoP-D).
On this dialog, Dr. Lusigi discusses the significance of inclusive outreach, data-driven options, and neighborhood engagement within the drive towards common immunisation protection.
Why is India not but in a position to obtain 100% common immunisation protection regardless of sustained efforts? What are the important thing challenges, and what’s going to it take to maneuver from the present 93% to full protection?
Reaching 93% immunisation coverage is a exceptional milestone for a rustic as huge and numerous as India. It displays the management of the federal government and dedication of the well being system in defending thousands and thousands of kids and pregnant ladies from vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles, diphtheria, polio, and tetanus. This achievement considerably reduces toddler mortality and ensures a more healthy and extra productive inhabitants.
Nevertheless, the remaining 7% of kids who are usually not absolutely immunised sometimes belong to marginalised communities – migrant households, tribal populations, and other people residing in distant or hard-to-reach areas. These teams usually face boundaries resembling vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, ignorance, and irregular entry to well being companies. For instance, households who often transfer for seasonal work might not know when or the place vaccines are being administered or might not be capable to entry constant care.
To handle these challenges, the Authorities of India has applied intensive outreach campaigns like Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush, each of which concentrate on reaching the final mile. Constructing on these efforts, a brand new initiative referred to as the Neighborhood of Apply for Demand (CoP-D) has been launched by the Ministry of Well being and Household Welfare, in collaboration with [United Nations agencies] UNDP, UNICEF, [vaccine alliance] GAVI, and different companions. CoP-D goals to have interaction native communities instantly to boost consciousness in regards to the significance of vaccines, perceive the roots of hesitancy, and develop tailor-made methods to succeed in susceptible populations extra successfully. It is going to additionally work carefully with frontline well being employees like ASHAs, whose unwavering dedication has lengthy been the spine of India’s immunisation outreach.
Moreover, India’s adoption of digital instruments such because the eVIN (Digital Vaccine Intelligence Community) and U-WIN (Common Immunisation Programme-WIN) is revolutionising the best way vaccines are tracked and distributed. These applied sciences assist be sure that well being centres preserve enough vaccine shares and may monitor immunization schedules and protection, making it simpler to succeed in each youngster.
Closing the remaining hole would require sustained political dedication, neighborhood engagement, and continued innovation in each outreach and expertise.
Might you elaborate on how the Neighborhood of Apply for Demand (CoP-D) will operate? How do varied businesses coordinate to extend consciousness and drive vaccine demand?
Reaching unvaccinated or partially vaccinated kids is simply potential with a mix of collaboration and innovation – and that’s the place the newly launched Neighborhood of Apply – Demand steps in. Led by the Ministry of Well being and Household Welfare, supported by UNDP and GAVI, COP-D is a dynamic suppose tank that brings collectively authorities, civil society, U.N. businesses like WHO and UNICEF and community-based organisations to co-create revolutionary, regionally related options that drive immunisation demand.
On the coronary heart of COP-D is the aim to beat boundaries like vaccine hesitancy and ignorance. It really works at three ranges: Regionally, it engages frontline employees, community-based organisations, self-help teams, ladies’s teams, adolescent teams, resident welfare associations and neighborhood leaders and influencers to spark behaviour change and increase vaccine uptake.
On the nationwide and State ranges, it helps strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and implementation to sort out systemic points and scale profitable fashions. COP-D additionally faucets into international greatest practices, adapting them to India’s numerous realities by means of analysis and grassroots testing.
Might you communicate to the implementation and affect of the Digital Vaccine Intelligence Community (eVIN)? What’s the long-term imaginative and prescient, and what challenges stay?
eVIN was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Well being and Household Welfare with assist from UNDP and GAVI. It was a response to vital gaps within the vaccine provide chain—temperature breaches, inconsistent inventory ranges, and lack of digital monitoring—all of which affected vaccine high quality and availability.
What started as a pilot in simply three States has 1745733447 reworked vaccine logistics nationwide. By utilizing cell and web-based instruments, eVIN affords real-time knowledge on vaccine inventory ranges, storage temperatures, and distribution. Its success was evident early on—by 2016 it expanded to 9 extra States, and a 2018 authorities analysis confirmed it had saved over 90 million doses and yielded a return of $2.91 for each $1 invested. In the present day, eVIN spans over 30,000 chilly chain factors throughout all States and Union Territories.
The following step is integration with platforms like U-WIN to create a seamless, end-to-end digital spine to assist each side of immunisation – from vaccine provide to beneficiary monitoring to recording the ultimate jab. India is now growing superior dashboards and analytics instruments, with UNDP’s assist, to empower native programme managers – the aim is sharper monitoring, faster choices, and extra focused motion. Globally, eVIN has already impressed related fashions in Indonesia, Malawi, and Sudan. With continued funding and collaboration, it has the potential to grow to be a gold customary for vaccine administration – each in India and worldwide.
What are the instant advantages noticed from the U-WIN platform, and the way does it guarantee knowledge privateness for beneficiaries?
U-WIN started as a pilot in January 2023 and was launched nationwide by Prime Minister Modi in 2024. U-WIN is a game-changing digital platform designed to make immunisation companies extra accessible, clear, and environment friendly for the general public.With U-WIN, dad and mom can e-book vaccination appointments and entry companies wherever within the nation. It sends automated SMS reminders, points QR-based e-vaccination certificates, and helps frontline well being employees in mobilising communities and managing immunisation drives extra successfully. The outcomes have been phenomenal. In simply over a yr, U-WIN has registered over 69 million kids and 24 million pregnant ladies, and digitally tracked greater than 388 million vaccine doses (as of April 20). This degree of uptake speaks volumes about its usability and belief amongst beneficiaries.
As for knowledge privateness, safeguarding private info is paramount. U-WIN is provided with superior security measures to safeguard privateness and block unauthorised entry. All beneficiary knowledge is encrypted, and the platform undergoes common safety audits by government-certified businesses. These steps be sure that delicate beneficiary knowledge stays protected and confidential always.
Revealed – April 27, 2025 10:00 am IST
