Avoiding Over-Orders and Stock Outs
With many intermediary steps in the cold chain, it can be challenging to keep track of the demand and delivery of vaccines. “We used to make our best estimates using paper forms that were often incomplete and not always up to date,” says Anthony Ngatia of CHAI’s vaccine program in Kenya. “We were never really sure what happened to the vaccines after they left the main storage area.” This can lead to stock outs as well as over-ordering, causing unused vaccines to go to waste.
To date, the Kenyan government has been tracking stock levels and distribution of vaccines on paper forms. This results in time lags in sharing information and frequently inaccurate data. Jackson Hungu, CHAI’s deputy director in Kenya, stepped in to apply his e-health knowledge to the challenge. Jackson developed an online system for tracking the distribution of vaccines, which was welcomed by the government.
Kenyan officials plan for the system to go live at national and regional levels before the end of 2011. It will enable the government to receive accurate, real-time counts of vaccine supplies throughout the country and will simplify the efficient management of stock at all levels.