The Digital Innovation in Pandemic Control (DIPC) project (2022–2025)—a partnership between Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Digital Square at PATH—has worked closely with the Tanzania Ministry of Health (MOH), the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), and other partners to strengthen Tanzania’s digital immunization ecosystem. In response to fragmented systems and pandemic-era digital expansion, the DIPC team supported ecosystem mapping and stakeholder engagement to identify gaps and priorities for sustainable scale-up.

DIPC Project Pillars in Tanzania

Localizing the Digital Adaptation Kit for Immunization (DAK)

The project localized WHO’s Digital Adaptation Kit for Immunizations for Tanzania, providing standardized workflows and data elements to guide digital immunization systems. The DAK includes:

• Core workflows for awareness generation, service delivery, care documentation, inventory management, and monitoring & evaluation.
• Detailed user personas and scenarios tailored to Tanzania's health system.
• Functional and non-functional requirements to support system design and implementation.

The localized DAK was validated through a stakeholder workshop in Arusha in 2023 and now serves as a reference for future updates.

Enhancing the GOTHOMIS Immunization Module

Digital Square partnered with PORALG and GIZ to enhance the immunization module within the Government of Tanzania Health Operations Management Information System (GOTHOMIS). Used in over 3,500 facilities, GOTHOMIS was upgraded to:

• Align with the localized DAK.
• Streamline workflows and reduce data entry errors.
• Improve access to immunization data.

The enhanced module has been deployed in six facilities across Tanga and Mbeya regions, with plans for broader rollout by GOTHOMIS.

Strengthening Local Expertise in FHIR

To support interoperability, the DIPC project facilitated FHIR training in June 2024 for developers from MOH, PORALG, and other institutions. This training built capacity to implement HL7 FHIR standards for seamless data exchange between systems.

The project also emphasized gender-inclusive capacity strengthening, spotlighting developers like Wahida Salumu Omary from the Medical Stores Department, whose story illustrates the impact of technical training on supply chain decision-making.

Key results

• Facilities using new/enhancecd solutions: 6
• Registered users: 30
• Registeried clients: 800
• Vaccinations recorded: 9,500
• Health workers trained: 63 (29 women, 34 men)

The implementation of digital tools has improved immunization workflows by enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of services. Health workers report reduced manual data entry errors and better tracking of immunization schedules.

Broader Impact

The DIPC project’s work in Tanzania is laying the groundwork for resilient, interoperable digital immunization systems. By aligning with Tanzania’s national digital health strategy and engaging partners such as UNICEF, JSI, CHAI, HISP Tanzania, and JHPIEGO Momentum, the project ensures sustainability and local ownership.

Tanzania’s experience offers valuable lessons in human-centered design, localization of global standards, and inclusive capacity strengthening—positioning the country to better respond to future pandemics and evolving health needs.