eVIN technology, introduced in 2015 by the Union Health Ministry, is gradually transforming Nayla Village of Rajasthan. As per a recent report, the technology is serving as a boon for the villagers. It’s been 17 years since Bill Clinton paid a visit to the village which brought it to headlines. Although the people are still same, a lot has been changed since then.
eVIN Technology in Nayla
Today, the women in Nayla are efficiently acting upon their leadership roles so as to take the health status of the village forward. They are serving as cold chain handlers, nurses, doctors, as well as Asha and Aanganwadi workers. An old haveli has been transformed into a rural health training centre, whereby every Tuesday children are vaccinated.
eVIN Technology in Rajasthan
Image Courtesy: Twitter.com
Rajasthan is one of the 12 states that have adopted the eVIN technology and has 2,231 vaccine stores. These contain 2 state, 7 regional, 34 district vaccine stores, and 2,188 cold chain points. Each of these cold chain handlers is handed a smartphone with the eVIN app.
These handlers make use of an online board where they get all the information regarding the vaccine stocks and storage temperature of the vaccines. Besides, the temperature loggers are fitted with a SIM to address the power outage and internet connectivity issues.
Role of Women in eVIN cold chain handling
As per the reports, many of these handlers are above 40 and have never used a smartphone in their life. But it’s inspiring to see so many women learning about how to operate a smartphone to understand the eVIN.
It’s mostly the women of Rajasthan who are maintaining vaccines and monitoring their proper use to ensure that all the children are getting vaccinated. The State Ministry aims to cover the entire country under the eVIN Program. Owing to the immunization drive, the infant mortality rate in the state between 2012 and 2016 has come down from 49 to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births.
What is eVIN Technology?
Image Courtesy: undp.org
eVIN i.e. Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network is a technology developed in India that aims to digitize vaccine stocks and monitor the cold chain temperature through a smartphone app. It focuses on rendering real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows and monitoring the required temperature across all cold chain points.
It’s an integrated solution that combines technology, governance, and human resource. It is a great tool to address widespread inequities in vaccine coverage and aids government to overcome constraints like infrastructure and human resource. The technology also ensures that there is no overstocking or stock-out of vaccines in storage centers.
