What Is EVIN-Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network?

Context

Recently, the Central Government has informed that, it is using eVIN – Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network in association with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to identify primary beneficiaries and vaccine distribution networks.
The technological innovation is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Government of India.

What is eVIN?

Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network is an indigenously developed technology that digitises vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a smartphone application.
The innovative eVIN was first launched across 12 states in 2015 to support better vaccine logistics management at cold chain points. eVIN supports the central government’s Universal Immunization Programme by providing real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures across all cold chain points across states and UTs.
The innovative eVIN is presently being implemented called across twelve states in India.
eVIN aims to support the Government of India’s Universal Immunization Programme by providing real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures across all cold chain points in these states.

The integrated solution combines:

Technology : to facilitate evidence-based decision-making by making available online real-time information on vaccine stocks and storage temperature through the eVIN application software and temperature loggers;
Governance: to ensure efficient vaccine logistics management by systemizing record keeping through standardizing stock and distribution registers; identifying gaps and improving clarity on vaccine cold chain network; drawing attention to infrastructure upgrades; developing standard operating procedures; and encouraging good practices;
Human Resources: to empower the state cold chain network by building the capacities of government cold chain handlers; and deploying vaccine and cold chain managers in every district for constant support to estimate vaccine requirements, supervise cold chain handlers and coordinate with cold chain technicians across the district.

The Centre has begun its preparations for introduction of Covid-19 vaccine and a National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) has been formed as the highest group that will guide the strategies for vaccine introduction.

Utility of eVIN

Beginning in October 2015, eVIN has been rolled out in 371 districts of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
With this, eVIN will support better vaccine logistics management at more than 10,400 cold chain points reaching out to nearly 60 percent of children under the age of two in the country.
Nearly 17,000 government staff including vaccine store managers and cold chain handlers have been trained on mobile and Web-based eVIN application while over 6,700 temperature loggers have been installed.
The programme is to be scaled up to cover all the states and UTs of the country.

Source: Indian Express, VikasPedia and UNDP