An Electronic Immunization Registry
The Field Epidemiology Society of Kenya (FESK) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health officially launched the ChanjoTrack system on 1st June 2018 in Nyandarua County. The ChanjoTrack system is an integrated birth and immunization registration platform that has been developed using USSD technology. Data is therefore collected and managed using all kinds of phones and does not therefore require internet or expensive gadgets to operate. By using the simplest phone (popularly known as mulika mwizi), one can register births, record immunization, query birth registration status and get child vaccination status. The platform is being piloted in Ndaragwa Subcounty in Nyandarua county where 18 health facilities are implementing the system. As at the end of July 2018, more than 1000 children had been registered in the system.
As part of support to the implementation team, a review meeting was held on 20th and 21st February 2019 at Ndaragwa Sub County. The meeting was attended by 56 health workers from the 18 pilot health facilities as well as representatives from the Ministry of Health, Nyandarua County Health Department, Ndaragwa Sub county Health Department and FESK. The participants used the forum to share experiences and lessons learnt in the implementation of the project whose goal is to improve vaccination timeliness and coverage by electronically registering all births and recording vaccines given to children.
Once children are registered in the system, automated SMS reminders are sent to the parents/caregivers to remind them to bring their children for vaccination. The pilot is progressing well and lessons learnt are being used to improve the system. For example, in 2018, a total of 2774 births were registered in the system (prospectively and retrospectively) which seems to validate the official birth estimates of 2761 for Ndaragwa Sub county for 2018. The BCG coverage for 2018 was 98% as per the records in the system which is much higher than what is reported in DHIS2. This shows that data quality is being improved by electronic capture of records. We expect to analyze more indicators including timeliness of vaccination as the project comes to an end later in the year.
The ChanjoTrack system has been developed using a grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that was received through the Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) Round 19. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is championing innovative ideas and approaches that position vaccines as a shield to protect children, families, and communities. The foundation is accelerating Innovation for strengthening Vaccination Systems -- starting with better collection and use of critical data.