U-WIN
1. Context
On the government’s 100-day health agenda is the countrywide rollout of U-WIN, an online vaccine management portal for childhood vaccination — similar to CoWIN used during the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. What is U-WIN? How does it work
- hildren up to the age of six and pregnant mothers are enrolled in U-WIN using government IDs like Aadhaar and their mobile phone numbers. Once registered, the system can record all 25 vaccinations for children and the two given to pregnant mothers.
- The platform generates a checkered vaccination certificate with color-coded vaccines. Each time a vaccination is administered and logged in U-WIN, the date is added to the certificate, which also displays the due date for the next vaccines. The platform sends SMS reminders to parents before their child's next vaccination is due.
- The digital vaccine certificate, accessible via the parents' registered mobile numbers, eliminates the need for a physical vaccination booklet and enables vaccinations to be received anywhere in the country.
- U-WIN can also be used to locate nearby vaccination centers and book slots. For health workers, the platform automatically generates a list of children due for vaccinations in their area. As the database grows, U-WIN will help the government analyze micro-trends across regions.
- U-WIN also records all births, the three vaccines against polio, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis administered at birth, a child’s birth weight, and any observed physical deformities.
- This information can be used by other government programs, with the goal of eventually connecting all digital records through the ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) ID
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U-WIN will be integrated with the government’s existing eVIN platform for inventory management. eVIN monitors all vaccine vials, from central storage facilities to each vaccination site nationwide.
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It tracks the number of doses administered, doses wasted, and open vials returned by the sites, and is also used by sites to request additional vaccines.
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eVIN also monitors, in real-time, the temperature and humidity conditions each vial experiences using sensors attached to each freezer.
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Since U-WIN operates on the same principles and utilizes the same digital infrastructure as CoWIN, its adoption is expected to be straightforward.
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An immunization expert who has previously worked with government programs noted, “We already know that the digital infrastructure required for such a large program exists in the country. Additionally, most vaccinators have experience with a similar platform, which means they are likely to find it user-friendly
3. How will U-WIN help with immunisation?
- The government anticipates several benefits from implementing U-WIN. One major advantage is portability—children who receive their initial vaccines in one village or city can complete their vaccination schedule anywhere else in the country. This is particularly beneficial for ensuring that children of migrant workers stay on track with their vaccinations.
- The portal may also help reduce errors. An immunization expert mentioned that the platform can serve as a decision support system.
- If a health worker is about to administer an incorrect dose or give a shot too early, the platform will prevent them from updating the record, thereby alerting them to the mistake.
- U-WIN will offer detailed, individualized data on childhood immunizations nationwide. Currently, vaccination data is maintained as aggregate numbers rather than individual records.
- This aggregated data cannot differentiate between individual cases. However, with U-WIN, having data for each child will provide a clearer, more accurate picture
- Registration at birth may also help in bringing down the number of “zero dose” children — those who have not received any vaccinations. In India, the coverage of the first dose of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT)-containing vaccine is taken as the proxy for zero dose children
- Recently released data from the WHO and UNICEF show that while 93% of children received their first vaccine dose, there were still 1.6 million zero dose children in India in 2023
4. Way Forward
The data also showed that 1.6 million children missed their first measles-containing vaccine in 2023, up from 1.1 million the previous year. This is concerning as in 2022, five states — Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra — reported a rise in the incidence of measles. A centralised database, especially in the long-term, may facilitate better policy-making and implementation.
Source: Indianexpress
