24 March 2021: The partnership between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is aimed at supporting Bhutan’s National COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan through digital solutions.

The digital solutions include digitalization of the COVID-19 vaccination program and bolstering of emergency medical services response through support to the Health Help Centre (HHC). These digital solutions are critical to ensuring quick, efficient, and safe distribution of vaccines. Towards this end, UNDP handed over ICT equipment worth over Nu. 7.3 million to the MoH yesterday. The equipment will be distributed to the HHC, health centres and vaccination points across the country for the smooth roll out of the vaccines.

These equipment will enable collection of real-time beneficiary data, including date of vaccination, vaccine type, dose, and potential Adverse Events Following Immunizations (AEFIs). It will also help real-time visibility of the inventory of vaccination points.

The HHC will play a critical role during the COVID-19 vaccine deployment in responding to the queries on COVID-19 vaccines as well any AEFIs. During the vaccination period, the HHC will be staffed with extra manpower to cater to calls from the public. In addition to the equipment support, UNDP supported the ministry in training HHC operators on supporting vaccine deployment, including familiarizing them with the vaccine system, BVS.

“The Ministry of Health is privileged to receive support from the UNDP and the Government of Japan,” said the ministry. “The support will go a long way in responding to the COVID pandemic through digital solutions. This support is a part of an agreement between the UNDP and MoH towards using the technology in strengthening efforts towards containment of COVID.”

“UNDP is honored to support the National COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign in close collaboration with UNICEF and WHO leading UN’s support. UNDP’s contributions build on our existing collaboration with MoH in the strengthening of health systems through e-health, as well as UNDP’s past and ongoing experiences in India, Indonesia and Bangladesh where UNDP supported digital solutions for vaccine distributions, over and above the COVID 19 vaccine,” said UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota.

UNDP is supporting the BVS through its regional initiative on “Digital Solutions for the Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccine”. The support to the HHC is a part of the UNDP’s global COVID-19 response and recovery project, “Innovation for a Smarter, Greener and More Resilient 21st Century Bhutan,” funded by the Government of Japan.

Contact information:

Ms. Dechen Wangmo, Communications Analyst, UNDP Bhutan, Mobile: +975 1734 3086, Email: dechen.wangmo@undp.org

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. UNDP Bhutan is part of the 170-country office UNDP network, and offers global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. UNDP on Twitter | on Facebook | UNDP Bhutan Office

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