This project aims to improve the well-being and survival of children under five years old by making sure that they receive quality life-saving immunizations. The project seeks to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and performance of the delivery systems for vaccines in four African countries. Vaccine delivery systems involve a set of activities, processes and infrastructure to ensure that children are able to receive quality vaccines when and where they need them. The backbone of the delivery system is the “cold chain” which ensures that the vaccines are kept at a constant temperature during transportation, until they reach the children in remote communities who need them. This project seeks to improve vaccine delivery systems by: (i) reducing waste and shortages of vaccine by identifying bottlenecks in the delivery system; (ii) reducing the cost of essential cold chain equipment by developing innovative financing strategies; (iii) responding to breakdowns in supply in real time; and (iv) piloting new technologies in cold chain equipment to improve reliability, efficiency and effectiveness.
