Documentation for EPI-supply chain system strengthening work implemented in 5 countries through Japan grant
In support of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government has provided a grant to 5 countries in the North African region to strengthen their vaccine supply chain. These funds were used by Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia to implement activities including the acquisition of cold chain equipment for the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, capacity building in cold chain and vaccine management, and the implementation of supply chain management tools. UNICEF, the fund administrator, wished to document the activities carried out, the results obtained and the direct and indirect benefits for the countries.
For this documentation, we reviewed and analyzed project documents developed by the countries, observed achievements in the field, conducted in-depth interviews with stakeholders at different levels of the health system, as well as with development partners and in particular Japanese government representatives in the countries. In each country, a human-interest story was drawn up, highlighting the benefits of the grant in the day-to-day management of the program and among the population.
The results showed that the grant made a major contribution to strengthening the immunization cold chain in the countries, in addition to supporting the roll-out of COVID-19 immunization. The high completion rate was facilitated in countries with more developed program management and partnership processes.
Documentation also helped to increase the visibility of the grant and the role played by stakeholders.
