Immunisation Monitoring: Technology improves coverage

LAHORE: The real time monitoring data established by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) reported that the use of technology had improved vaccine coverage from 36% (2014) to 97% (2017) in the province.

"The untiring and dedicated efforts of field workers made the significant improvement possible in Pakistan's Expanded Programme on Immunisation and turned around vaccination services through technology," said PITB Chairman Dr Umar Saif.

During the meeting, Dr Saif was informed that 3,483,105 children were administered 33,478,582 vaccines, including BCG, OPV, Measles, Pentavalent and Pneumococcal through 3,774 vaccinators in the province.

The PITB provided smartphones to vaccination teams with applications to digitise their fieldwork and monitor attendance and performance. The smartphones were used to enter real time immunisation records that were then sent to a centralised database.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2017.