Constraints-driven paradigm shift in monitoring child immunization in Ethiopia

Abstract

Vaccination service in Ethiopia is not easily available and too often unreliable due to constraints such as rural health facilities being far away from distribution hubs and in poor condition with few health workers; unreliable vaccine supply system; and information gaps between the service suppliers and service receivers. The globally fast-paced development of mobile technology digitizing business processes could bring significant improvement in the quality of the vaccination service in a developing country like Ethiopia. The researchers ventured into this solution. ISO 9241 usability metrics of Human Computer Interaction was used in Experimental research design to test the usability of both the traditional manual paper-based system versus the developed mobile/web-based information system-mhealth . Finally, the researchers found out that the Ethiopian IPM has brought significant improvement of quality of service in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and user satisfaction measures in the activities of the health professionals.

Keywords: Vaccination, Immunization, ICT, CHW, DVS, VTC, CVS, IS, EPI, IPM, outreach, mHealth, HCI