Project Lead(s): Melecio Mayta Ccota
Issue
Vaccine-preventable diseasescause more than 1.5 million deaths in children under 5 years of age each year.
In Peru, only 69% of childrenunder 12 months of age receive immunization coverage. In communities withlimited access to health services, coverage is even lower at 44%.
Poor immunization rates areattributed to barriers to health service access, deficient immunizationsystems, and a lack of parental health education.
Solution
The project designed the SIGVACvaccine management system for use in health facilities, as well as a mobileapplication for the general public and health professionals in Lima, Peru.
SIGVAC was a digital healthsystem that integrated mobile devices with electronic databases forimmunization history. The system was developed in accordance with the clinicaland technical guidelines established by the Peruvian Ministry of Health.
The SIGVAC program included an electronicdatabase of patient immunization histories to track vaccination progress andcontrol treatment regimens. It used biometric identification technology toregister newborns.
The system was installed in 8health centers in low-income areas of metropolitan Lima. Health workers andtechnicians who administer vaccines were trained to use the program.
Educational sessions on theimportance of immunization were conducted in the target communities. Sessionswere aimed at parents of young children, and included demonstrations of thevaccine management system.
CHWs were further educated ondisease prevention, infant mortality, and vaccine importance. They were thenable to provide information to their communities.
Outcome
The vaccine management systemsuccessfully increased immunization coverage in the targeted population.
The SIGVAC project enabled 1,579children between the ages of 1 month and 4 years to access immunizations in the8 target facilities. The families of children who used the system received remindersand information regarding follow-up and future immunizations.
49 CHWs took part in the trainingprograms and improved their knowledge of disease prevention, infant mortality,and vaccine importance.