In March 2011, the government of Senegal began using a "moving warehouse" to transport vaccines and vaccine supplies from regional stores directly to district stores and health posts on a monthly basis in the Saint-Louis region. This photo set explains how the moving warehouse works and shares results from a project Optimize–supported pilot demonstration of the moving warehouse from 2010 to 2012.

Publication date: April 2013

Region: Africa

Part of series: Project Optimize photo sets

As part of the project Optimize traveling exhibit, this banner illustrates the concept of integrating vaccines with other health products in streamlined supply chains. It highlights Senegal’s “moving warehouse,” which was introduced to offer a better system of distribution down the chain. Rather than having health facilities collect vaccines and supplies, the moving warehouse delivery teams visit each facility, check inventory, and replenish stock as needed. Each team includes a supervisor and cold chain technician who provide supportive supervision to health care workers and ensure that equipment is operating correctly.

Publication date: April 2013

Region: Global

Part of series: Supply Systems for Today and Tomorrow: Project Optimize traveling exhibit

This report presents the results and findings of three demonstration projects undertaken in Tunisia as part of a partnership between project Optimize and the Tunisian Ministry of Health. Between 2009 and 2012, the partnership aimed to demonstrate innovations in the supply chain that can help the national immunization program meet the demands of an increasingly large and costly portfolio of vaccines.

Publication date: April 2013

Region: Africa

Part of series: Project Optimize country reports

This fact sheet provides an overview of rotavirus disease and vaccines in Haiti. It includes information about the tremendous burden of rotavirus diarrhea in Haitian children, rotavirus diarrhea treatment and prevention strategies, and the effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines. It also lists countries that have introduced rotavirus vaccines into their national immunization programs.

Publication date: April 2013

Region: Latin America

Part of series: Rotavirus disease and vaccines fact sheets

PATH commissioned this report in an effort to evaluate whether dose-sparing, possibly through the intradermal (ID) route, could improve the availability of yellow fever vaccine globally. The authors identify and discuss potential benefits, possible obstacles, and associated costs of dose-sparing as a vaccine delivery strategy. In addition, the report includes an assessment of which settings would be most appropriate and to what extent novel ID delivery devices, such as needle-free disposable-syringe jet injectors, would help to facilitate its successful implementation.

Author: Hickling J, Jones R

Publication date: April 2013

Region: Global

This policy report highlights the essential role that public-private partnerships play in driving global health product development and offers insights into the key components of successful multi-sector partnerships led by PATH. For examples of our European public-private partnerships, see Public-Private Partnerships for Global Health: PATH's Collaborations With European Partners.

Publication date: March 2013

Region: Global

This report presents the results of demonstration projects and other activities undertaken in Senegal from 2009 to 2012 as part of a partnership between project Optimize (a collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH) and the Senegalese Ministry of Health. The activities aimed to demonstrate innovations in the supply chain that can help meet the demands of an increasingly large and costly portfolio of vaccines.

Publication date: February 2013

Region: Africa

Part of series: Project Optimize country reports

The fourth annual policy report from the Global Health Technologies Coalition outlines actions the United States can take to help reduce deaths, extend lives, and secure healthier futures by supporting research for new health tools.

Publication date: February 2013

Region: North America and Europe

Part of series: GHTC's annual policy reports

Project Optimize, a collaboration between PATH and the World Health Organization, undertook a cost-comparison case study of five container options for vaccine transport from the national to the regional level in Senegal. This report may be used as a starting point for other country vaccine programs weighing transport options in the face of increasing vaccine volume.

Author: Lorenson K, Mvundura M

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Global

In consideration of the volatile global economy, the growing costs of airfreight, and the risk associated with diminished air cargo capacity, project Optimize evaluated ocean freight as a potentially secure and economic alternative method to transport vaccines. This document describes the project’s methodology, findings, and recommendations.

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Global

This report presents the results of demonstration projects and other activities undertaken in Albania as part of a partnership between project Optimize (a collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH) and the Albanian Institute of Public Health. The partnership aimed to demonstrate innovations, such as an online immunization registry and remote alarm system in the cold chain, that can help meet the demands of an increasingly large and costly portfolio of vaccines.

Author: Bino S, Nelaj E, Mesi A, Grevendonk J

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Global

Part of series: Project Optimize country reports

This report presents the results of demonstration projects and other activities undertaken in Vietnam as part of a partnership between project Optimize (a collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Health. The activities aimed to demonstrate innovations in the supply chain that can help meet the demands of an increasingly large and costly portfolio of vaccines. For a summary of Optimize’s activities conducted with Vietnam’s National Expanded Program on Immunization, see Summary of Optimize Activities Conducted With Vietnam's National Expanded Programme on Immunization.

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Asia

Part of series: Project Optimize country reports

This fact sheet provides an overview of rotavirus disease and vaccines in Ghana. It includes information about the tremendous burden of rotavirus diarrhea in Ghanaian children, rotavirus diarrhea treatment and prevention strategies, and the effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines. It also lists countries that have introduced rotavirus vaccines into their national immunization programs.

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Africa

Part of series: Rotavirus disease and vaccines fact sheets

Keeping heat-sensitive vaccines at the right temperature is crucial yet often difficult in areas with limited or no electrical power. Project Optimize collaborated with the Vietnam National Expanded Programme on Immunization to evaluate two technologies to respond to this challenge. One was a direct-drive solar refrigerator and the other a passive cooling device. This fact sheet describes the lessons learned from the demonstration—information which can be used by other country programs considering these devices for long-term storage of vaccines.

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Asia

In Vietnam, project Optimize worked with government and software partners to help introduce a digital immunization registry. This brief describes how the registry allowed the health system to better track children due for vaccination and shortened the time required for recording and reporting immunizations compared to the existing paper-based registry.

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Asia

The Op.ti.mize e-newsletter was a quarterly publication that highlighted advances and innovations in health care logistics, technologies, and policy. Developed by project Optimize, a collaboration between PATH and the World Health Organization, this newsletter provided an overview of Optimize’s activities and areas of focus.

Publication date: 2013

Region: Global

Part of series: E-newsletters

The Albanian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with project Optimize, developed a registry-based immunization information system. This fact sheet illustrates how the data the new system produces has been used to improve the management of the country's vaccination program, how it is changing the way people collaborate, how it ensures timely and equal access to immunization for all children, and how it reduces the administrative burden on staff.

Publication date: November 2012

Region: Global

This fact sheet provides an overview of rotavirus disease and vaccines in Tanzania. It includes information about the tremendous burden of rotavirus diarrhea in Tanzanian children, rotavirus diarrhea treatment and prevention strategies, and the effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines. It also lists countries that have introduced rotavirus vaccines into their national immunization programs.

Publication date: November 2012

Region: Africa

Part of series: Rotavirus disease and vaccines fact sheets

This project Optimize document summarizes a laboratory report on performance testing of four models of domestic refrigerators that are available on the Tunisian market. Project Optimize contracted the tests to demonstrate to the government the importance of prequalification of models according to World Health Organization quality, safety, and standards for the storage of vaccines.

Author: Lloyd J, McCarney S, Ouhichi R

Publication date: October 2012

Region: Africa

Project Optimize, a collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH, is helping national immunization programs prepare for the future. This fact sheet describes how project Optimize worked in Vietnam with national, regional, and local partners to help introduce VaxTrak, a software program that allows users at various levels of the health system to track vaccine stock and report monthly immunization activity. Find out more about PATH's work in digital health solutions.

Publication date: October 2012

Region: Asia