Strengthening digital systems for immunization in Malawi
As part of the GIZ-funded Digital Innovation in Pandemic Control (DIPC) project in Malawi, Digital Square partnered with the Ministry of Health's (MOH) Digital Health Division (DHD) and Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to better understand the digital systems currently used to support immunization in Malawi.
This landscaping resulted in the development of a country profile, which outlines key digital systems currently supporting immunization. Findings highlight that though the MOH is experiencing rapid growth in the development and adoption of these mobile and web-based digital tools, a number of the existing systems are not integrated and/or interoperable, leading to inefficiencies and a lack of accurate data.
Activities
Digital Square worked with the MOH to prioritize the following activities:
Localize the new immunization System and User Requirements Document (SURD) so that health care is administered according to clinical guidelines that increase quality of care. The MOH and Digital Square conducted a user requirements workshop in July 2023 to adapt a generic SURD for Immunization into a localized SURD by using the same principles and format of WHO’s standards-based, machine-readable, adaptive, requirements-based, and testable (SMART) Guidelines. This approach ensures national clinical guidelines for immunization are embedded into any immunization digital system built or enhanced using this documentation.
Develop an electronic immunization registry (EIR) within the Malawi Healthcare Information System (MaHIS): This process will include the digitization of the current paper-based immunization registers to allow for real-time visibility of all immunization processes at all 21 static sites in Mchinji District and three static sites in Ntcheu District. The EIR will be included as a module within the MaHIS, with the goal of eventually making the EIR available to all static sites in the country. As a result, Malawi’s health workers and decision-makers will have better data to plan and deliver vaccines.
Strengthen the capacity of MOH partners to manage and adapt the EIR so it can be locally sustained: Digital Square will assess the capacity needs of the MOH and design and conduct country-level training for the DHD team to ensure they are able to maintain the EIR and support users following the conclusion of the DIPC project.
DIPC Malawi Resources
DIPC is a partnership between the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Digital Square at PATH. The two-year project is working with ministries of health in Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania to select and adapt digital tools to strengthen immunization systems.