Preparedness Assessment for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Introduction in India: A Novel Approach
August 9th, 2024 | story
An outreach immunization session in Ladakh, India. Photo: JSIPL
By Rashmi Mehra, Rhythm Hora, and Jillian Kral
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges in vaccine access and equity. In India, it hindered the expansion of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).
A preparedness assessment is crucial to the multi-step process of adding a new vaccine to a national immunization schedule. A comprehensive, timely, and meticulous preparedness assessment acts as a baseline for establishing capacity strengthening, supply chain management, and vaccine delivery goals. Conventionally, it is conducted through paper-based data collection, which was infeasible during the pandemic due human resource mobilization restrictions. In response to the need for a remote, digitized, and automated data collection method, JSI India’s New Vaccine Introduction (NVI) team developed and implemented the PCV Roll Out Monitoring and Preparedness Tool (PROMPT) for district and state program managers.
PROMPT streamlined the preparedness assessment process and offered several advantages over its traditional counterpart. By digitizing checklists that record data covering relevant domains and incorporating conditional entries, PROMPT simplified preparedness assessment progress tracking, automated data collation, and generated visual analytics in real time. This facilitated immediate interventions and strategic decision-making at various levels of the health care system.
The success of PROMPT was evident in its widespread adoption and tangible outcomes. The tool facilitated the timely completion of preparedness assessments across all states, aligning with the aggressive timeline for PCV expansion between May and October, 2021. Its interactive interface enabled seamless data transfer and monitoring, while the analytical dashboard provided insights for programmatic corrections.
The preparedness assessment digitization through PROMPT exemplifies the power of innovation for overcoming health care challenges. By embracing digital solutions, we enhance efficiency and effectiveness and ensure resilient health care systems capable of mitigating future crises.
