This newsletter edition is available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.
We hope everyone had a productive and successful World Immunisation Week! Did you lead a campaign, hold an event, produce a resource,host a social media live chat, or anything else to celebrate? If so, we would love to hear about it! Send your stories and photos to Linked Network Facilitators at community@linkedimmunisation.org.
In this newsletter edition, we have an important announcement that we don’t want you to miss. Our network-wide survey launched on 1 May, and we hope you will take the time to fill it out. Your responses will help us understand how Linked’s collaborative learning approach has contributed to your country’s progress toward Gavi’s MICs Approach objectives and how we can continue to adapt our approaches to be responsive and effective in addressing your most pressing learning needs.
We are also happy to share materials from a recent webinar on Standardizing your EIR for Interoperability: How countries are using the WHOs new Digital Adaptation Kit to streamline their EIRs. The discussion was for countries and practitioners who are struggling to incorporate disparate data sources and harmonize data standards across their existing digital immunisation systems, including electronic immunisation registries (EIRs).
For World Immunisation Week, we published a blog on How Collaborative Peer Learning is Making “Immunisation for All” Reality in Middle-Income Countries. It showcases inspiring journeys from Tunisia, Indonesia, and Armenia, where health practitioners overcame cultural,logistical, and systemic hurdles by exchanging and adapting strategies through the Linked Immunisation Action Network.
We also want to give a very warm welcome to Dafina Gexha-Bunjaku, the newest member of Linked’s Steering Committee! As Deputy Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Kosovo, Dafina will bring her vast experience with new vaccine introduction, high uptake of new vaccines, and successfully advocating for increased funding for immunisation programs. Learn more about Dafina in this Steering Committee spotlight!
As always, this newsletter also features relevant literature, guidance, case studies, and other tools from our partners and the global immunisation community to evaluate the impact of EIRs, strengthen the knowledge and capacities of health workers, improve vaccine uptake and reach zero-dose children, and more.
Warm regards,
Elizabeth Ohadi, Program Director, Linked Immunisation Action Network
Network Updates
DON’T MISS THIS: The Linked Network-Wide Survey launched May 1!
Our network-wide survey launched on 1 May, and we hope you will take the time to fill it out. Your responses will help us understand how Linked’s collaborative learning approach has contributed to your country’s progress toward Gavi’s MICs Approach objectives and how we can continue to adapt our approaches to be responsive and effective in addressing your most pressing learning needs. Make your voice heard and complete the Linked survey! Make sure to select the appropriate version of the survey link below.
- Take the network-wide survey (English version)
- Take the network-wide survey (French version)
- Take the network-wide survey (Portuguese version)
- Take the network-wide survey (Russian version)
- Take the network-wide survey (Spanish version)
- Take the network-wide survey (Regional / Local Partners version)
Watch Now: Standardizing your EIR for Interoperability: How countries are using the WHOs new Digital Adaptation Kit to streamline their EIRs
On Wednesday, 2 April, Linked facilitated a learning discussion for countries and practitioners who are struggling to incorporate disparate data sources and harmonize data standards across their existing digital immunisation systems, including electronic immunisation registries (EIRs). The webinar featured the WHO’s SMART Guidelines and the new Digital Adaptation Kit (DAK) for immunisation, released in January 2025. Natschja (Nat) Ratanaprayul, Technical Officer at WHO, who coordinates the SMART Guidelines program and works with countries to implement DAKs across multiple health areas, showcased the 5-layer framework which establishes benchmarks and standards for digital health systems and reduces time and resources spent adapting and implementing EIRs.
In Celebration of World Immunisation Week: Our Blog on How Collaborative Peer Learning is Making “Immunisation for All” Reality in Middle-Income Countries
Discover how collaborative peer learning is transforming immunisation programs in middle-income countries! Our latest blog, “The Ripple Effect: How Collaborative Peer Learning is Making “Immunisation for All” Reality in Middle-Income Countries,” showcases inspiring journeys from Tunisia, Indonesia, and Armenia, where health practitioners overcame cultural, logistical, and systemic hurdles by exchanging and adapting strategies through the Linked Immunisation Action Network. Learn how school-based HPV vaccine rollouts, tech-driven data systems, and legal frameworks and reporting mechanisms are closing equity gaps. Curious how peer learning can amplify your work? Dive into the blog to explore real-world successes about how “Immunisation For All” is humanly possible.
Welcome Dafina Gexha-Bunjaku to Linked’s Steering Committee!
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Dafina Gexha-Bunjaku, Deputy Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Kosovo, as a new member of Linked’s Steering Committee. Dr. Dafina is a medical doctor, specialized in Epidemiology. She has a long career in public health and played a key role in preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Kosovo. During her time as Deputy Minister of Health, the MoH budget for vaccines was increased fivefold, and three new vaccines were introduced (PCV, Rotavirus, and HPV). Learn more about Dr. Dafina in our new Steering Committee Spotlight.
Read the Steering Committee Spotlight
Featured News & Resources
Impact of electronic immunisation registries and electronic logistics management information systems in four low-and middle-income countries: Guinea, Honduras, Rwanda, and Tanzania
A multi-country evaluation looked at different electronic systems in four LMICs, at different levels of their implementation, digitization, and integration into the country HMIS. The findings provide actionable evidence, experiences, and practical lessons learned on the governance and modalities of the use of electronic immunisation registries (eIR) and electronic logistics management information systems (eLMIS). View the full evaluation here.
Digital adaptation kit for immunisations: operational requirements for implementing WHO recommendations in digital systems
Digital Adaptation Kits (DAKs) are part of WHO’s SMART guidelines initiative. This aims to ensure that the content of WHO’s evidence-based guidelines is accurately reflected in the digital systems being used at country level. The DAKs provide software-neutral, operational, and structured documentation based on WHO recommendations related to clinical care, health systems and use of data, to systematically and transparently inform the design of digital systems. Learn more about DAKs here.
New courses about immunisation for health workers launched on the PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
The PAHO Special Program on Comprehensive Immunisation (CIM) has launched four self-study, self-paced, free online courses on the PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health in four languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Courses include: Basic concepts in immunisation for health workers, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs), Surveillance and information systems, and Management of the Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI). Get started with building your knowledge here.
Closing the gap on vaccine uptake in developing countries: Is there a role for cash incentives?
This research article highlights the effectiveness of cash incentives in increasing vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries. It reviews studies demonstrating the success of conditional cash transfer programs, such as those implemented in Latin America and Nigeria, in addressing demand-side barriers to vaccination, including financial constraints and hesitancy. Examine the findings here.
Reaching the unreached with life-saving vaccines through data science and geospatial technologies
UNICEF’s ‘Reach the Unreached’ initiative aims to improve child vaccination coverage data by pairing efforts in strengthening administrative systems with innovative probability models and alternative data sources to provide geolocated vaccination estimates. However, incorporating multiple probability models and data sources brings new challenges. This article highlights a recent pilot designed to equip program teams with actionable insights to navigate these discrepancies in vaccination coverage estimates. Read about the pilot here.
Knowledge Translation for Zero-Dose Immunisation Research
The Knowledge Translation (KT) for Zero-Dose Immunisation Research toolkit is a guide for effectively transforming research findings into practical applications, ensuring that evidence-based knowledge is communicated, adopted, and used. It provides a step-by-step process for developing KT plans and includes guiding questions, links to resources, and strategies for engaging stakeholders, particularly in zero-dose immunisation research. Unlock impactful insights in the toolkit here.
Safeguarding immunisation gains for a healthier future: IA2030 Global Report 2024
Most Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) indicators are off-track to achieve 2030 targets. While the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly undermined immunisation programs, the initial post-pandemic recovery seen in 2022 has not been sustained. Despite the stagnation seen in 2023, 2030 targets remain attainable – but they will require a sharp acceleration, with global, regional and sub-regional partners working closely with countries to identify and address their challenges, and to build high-performing and sustainable immunisation programs that equitably deliver vaccines to their populations. Read the IA230 2024 report that summarizes the impact goals, progress made, and challenges ahead here.
A VaccinesWork guide on the HPV vaccine
This Gavi VaccinesWork guide provides all the critical information you need to know about the human papillomavirus vaccine and its roll-out, including news, science explainers, reported dispatches, a map illustrating which countries have introduced the vaccine, stories, and more. Explore the guide here.
Country Spotlights
Photo story: The lifelines of the HPV vaccination campaign
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Nepal. To address this critical public health issue, the Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Nepal, launched a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in February 2025. Learn more about the campaign in a photo story here.
External Events
Market Intelligence webinar series: Lessons Learnt 2-pager
What key factors affect EPI decision-making? How can you use market intelligence (MI) to understand vaccine markets? This 2-pager summarizes challenges and lessons learned, with experiences from North Macedonia and Uzbekistan, from a webinar series hosted by the Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Network (VPPN). Discover the insights here.