Resources

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in young children. Two preventive interventions for RSV—a maternal vaccine and long-acting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) delivered to infants—are recommended by the World Health Organization. When countries consider introducing new vaccines, immunization program cost and affordability are key questions.To address some of these questions, the University Medical Centre Utrecht and PATH conducted studies as part of a multi-country collaboration called the RSV GOLD III-Health Economics Study to evaluate the economic burden of RSV disease (or cost of illness) and the impact and cost-effectiveness of RSV prevention (e.g., via maternal immunization or long-acting monoclonal antibodies) in Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance-eligible countries. The estimates will help inform policy decisions in low- and middle-income countries where maternal immunization-preventable diseases often hit hardest.Find here links to the peer-reviewed journal articles and select fact sheets summarizing the research. [Note: Some publications and fact sheets are forthcoming.]

This document highlights the health impact of a variety of medical devices and health technologies in use around the world, such as SoloShot syringes, HEATmarker Vaccine Vial Monitors, Nifty Feeding Cups, Uniject injection systems, and safe water devices. Including innovations that have been produced at a scale of million and billions of units as well as more recent product introductions addressing critical global health needs are featured.

Urbanization in India has led to rapidly changing and diverse health needs, requiring adaptive and responsive urban health systems. However, despite initiatives such as National Urban Health Mission, dedicated health grants under Fifteenth Finance Commission, and Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, persistent systemic challenges, including low community awareness of primary health services, fragmented governance across multiple departments, and weak community structures, continue to hinder comprehensive health care delivery. Existing community platforms have not sufficiently evolved to align with newer comprehensive primary health care initiatives at urban health facilities, including Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) and Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (UAAMs), resulting in limited uptake of services and inadequate responses to emerging public health threats. To address this gap, the National Health Mission (NHM) established Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) and Jan Arogya Samitis (JAS), though variably functional, offer a critical opportunity for participatory governance. This project seeks to activate and strengthen MAS and JAS in Bokaro, Jharkhand, through a systems-design approach that fosters convergence with Urban Local Bodies, establishes clear linkages and escalation pathways, and enables these community institutions to play an effective role in local health governance and community development.

Cholera remains a growing global public health threat, and the WHO-endorsed Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC) offers a practical way to improve access to oral cholera vaccines in high-risk, low-resource settings. This guidance brief describes how CTC allows eligible oral cholera vaccines to be stored and transported outside the standard 2–8°C cold chain for defined periods, reducing logistical barriers and enabling faster, more equitable delivery. Drawing on implementation experience from Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Zambia, the document outlines operational requirements, safety considerations, and key lessons learned, demonstrating that CTC can be safely applied to increase vaccination coverage, reduce costs, and support effective cholera outbreak prevention and response.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major, under–recognized public health problem causing more severe respiratory infections and hospitalizations in infants and young children each year than any other pathogen. New immunization tools now recommended for global use by the World Health Organization (WHO) could help change that.The opportunity to address this pervasive virus has never been better. To raise awareness, WHO and PATH have developed a toolkit of communication materials that public health stakeholders and advocates can use to share information about RSV disease, new prevention tools, and delivery considerations. Other expert contributors include the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Seattle Children's Hospital/University of Washington, UMC Utrecht, the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), RRD Design, and more.To accommodate varying audience and engagement needs, this toolkit includes a stand-alone RSV primer presentation (and fact sheet) providing an overview of RSV disease and prevention options. Also available are modular PowerPoint slides that can be mixed and matched with the primer presentation to dive deeper into key topics for informing understanding and decision-making around RSV prevention. All slides come with speaker notes.Additional social media tools make sharing information about RSV with your network easy!To learn more about the toolkit, visit the web page.NOTE: Files available here as read-only. Editable files are readily available upon request. Please contact us.