This project aims to improve vaccine equity among children in urban Kenya and rural Uganda by developing a parent/caregiver-facing digital vaccine card and registry. Utilizing a mobile health (mHealth) approach, the proposed tool will provide access to children’s vaccination data via SMS text messaging, complementing existing health provider systems. The initiative addresses persistent data quality issues in sub-Saharan Africa due to reliance on paper-based records, which hinder accurate estimation and timeliness of vaccinations. The project involves three main phases: evaluating the current vaccination landscape, co-designing the digital vaccine card with stakeholder input, and implementing and assessing its feasibility and impact. By engaging the Kenyan and Ugandan Ministries of Health and local communities throughout the process, the project ensures sustainability and relevance, ultimately aiming to achieve better vaccine coverage and timeliness for vulnerable children.
Professor, Epidemiology