From 22-25 November 2021, GRID3 Mapping for Health’s Forum "Towards Digital Microplanning” brought together national stakeholders of child immunisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to discuss how to produce and use a set of innovative geospatial data and gender equity solutions to strengthen vaccination interventions in the country.
In collaboration with CIESIN, the other organisation responsible for delivering the GRID3 Mapping for Health project, and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), we sensitised participants on the use of the project’s outputs for vaccination interventions. Participants included representatives of the Provincial Health Divisions of the Ministry of Health, Hygiene and Prevention from seven provinces of the country (Kinshasa, Kwilu, Kasaï, Kasaï Oriental, Lomami, Haut Katanga, Haut Lomami); government agencies such as the Division du Système National d'Information Sanitaire (DSNIS) and the Agence Nationale d'Ingénierie Clinique d'Information et d'Informatique de Santé (ANICiiS) and key other national and international partners.
Through presentations, discussions, panels, practical workshops and activities, we covered the key outputs of the project, namely:
- Mapping of localities, health facilities and health areas in the target provinces
- Estimation of the distribution and characteristics of the population at high resolution in the target provinces
- Geo-referenced support documents that exploits the key geospatial data produced and aim to support microplanning
- National estimates of population movements
- Tools to further integrate gender and equity considerations in vaccination
These innovative solutions are aimed to be integrated into the microplanning process of the health areas and within the vaccination work more generally. They will help with the adoption of digital immunisation planning approaches, hence improving child immunisation coverage through more accurate and more equitable planning and reporting methods.
For the full story, including a list of observations and recommendations, please read the official communiqué:
Watch our highlights video (interviews in French):
Discover some of our photos below:
