On the government’s 100-day health agenda is the countrywide rollout of U-WIN, an online vaccine management portal for childhood vaccination — similar to CoWIN used during the Covid-19 pandemic.
| Relevancy for Prelims: U-WIN, Key Features of U-WIN, Integration with eVIN , Benefits of U-Win, Implementation Status, Challenges and Considerations, etc.
Relevancy for Mains: U-WIN, Key Features of U-WIN, Integration with eVIN , Benefits of U-Win, Implementation Status, Challenges , Way Forward, Conclusion etc. |
U-WIN Portal: Universal Immunization WIN Portal
- Part of government’s 100-day health agenda
- Online vaccine management portal for childhood vaccination
- Similar to CoWIN used during COVID-19 pandemic
- Aims: To digitize and individualize immunization records from birth
- Goal: Identify and reach children outside the current vaccine net
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Key Features of U-WIN
- Registration Process
- For children up to 6 years and pregnant mothers
- Uses government ID (e.g., Aadhaar) and mobile numbers
- Records 25 shots for children and 2 for pregnant mothers
- Digital Vaccination Certificate
- Checkered certificate with color-coded vaccines
- Displays vaccination dates and due dates for next shots
- Eliminates need for physical vaccination booklets
- Enables vaccination anywhere in the country
- SMS Reminders
- Sends alerts to parents before next vaccination due date
- Locating Vaccination Centers
- Helps find nearest center and book available slots
- Health Worker Support
- Generates automatic due-lists of children in respective areas
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Registers births, birth weight, and physical deformities
- U-WIN also registers all births, the three vaccines against polio, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis administered at birth, a child’s birth weight, and any physical deformities observed at birth.
- These data-points can be utilised by other government programmes as well — the idea is to eventually connect all digital records through ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) ID.
- Allows study of micro-trends across areas
Integration with eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network)
- Inventory Management
- Tracks vaccine vials from central stores to vaccination sites
- Monitors doses used, wasted, and returned
- Facilitates demand forecasting for vaccines
- Temperature and Humidity Monitoring
- Real-time tracking using sensors attached to freezers
Benefits of U-WIN
- Improved Compliance : Regular reminders to parents
- Portability: Ensures continuity of vaccination for migrant families
- Error Reduction: Acts as a decision support system for health workers
- Granular Data Collection
- Provides individual-level vaccination data
- Helps differentiate between over-vaccinated and under-vaccinated children
- Reduction in “Zero Dose” Children
- Current scenario: 1.6 million zero dose children in India (2023)
- Example: Increase in missed measles vaccinations (1.6 million in 2023, up from 1.1 million in 2022)
- Potential to address measles outbreaks (e.g., in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra in 2022)
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Implementation Status
- Pilot phase in several states: The pilot phase aims to test the network’s performance, identify potential issues, and gather feedback from users.
- Wireless infrastructure has been set up in selected schools and colleges, providing students and staff with enhanced internet access.
- Nationwide rollout imminent Test
- Initial Rollout: The first phase of the nationwide rollout will target key regions and institutions that are ready for implementation.
- Full Deployment: Gradually, the network will be extended to cover all educational institutions across the country, ensuring ubiquitous wireless connectivity for students and staff.
Challenges and Considerations
- Digital infrastructure requirements
- Bandwidth and Speed: Ensuring sufficient bandwidth and high-speed connectivity to support multiple users and devices simultaneously.
- Coverage and Signal Strength: Achieving comprehensive coverage with strong signal strength, particularly in large or multi-story buildings.
- Hardware Requirements: Procuring and installing high-quality routers, access points, and other networking equipment.
- Training of health workers
- Training programs for staff and support teams should be organized to ensure smooth operation and maintenance of the network.
- Ensuring data privacy and security: Developing a robust incident response plan to quickly address and mitigate data breaches or security incidents.
- Encryption: Implementing strong encryption protocols (e.g., WPA3 for Wi-Fi) to protect data in transit.
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Conclusion
- Potential to revolutionise childhood immunization in India
- Long-term benefits for policy-making and implementation
- Contribution to achieving universal immunization coverage
July 23, 2024
