NEW DELHI: India is all set to roll out the U-WIN online vaccine management platform to capture all vaccination events of pregnant women and children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
Cloned on the successful model of the CoWIN platform, which was used for managing COVID-19 vaccinations, the U-WIN (Universal Immunization Win) will issue digital vaccination certificates for all 12 vaccinations administered under India's UIP.
The New Indian Express was the first to break the story in April 2022 that the National Health Authority (NHA) plans to launch a clone of the CoWIN platform, which was made available to other countries across the globe.
On Thursday, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra announced, “India is on the cusp of launching the U-WIN platform, which is modelled after the Co-WIN platform.”
His announcement came after a UN study said that 16 lakh children did not receive critical vaccination in 2013 in India, making it the second-highest country in the world with the most zero-dose children.
India slammed the report and said the ‘zero dose children’ comparison is flawed as it paints “an incomplete picture of the country’s immunisation efforts.”
Chandra highlighted that the launch of the U-WIN platform would lead to a transformative impact on not just storing the health records of every child but also digitising these records and monitoring, identifying, and rectifying the challenges that arise.
India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is one of the world's most extensive public health programs, and vaccination is free of cost to all pregnant women and children.
The online platform will make it easy for parents to seek appointments, search the nearest centre, get vaccinations and even download or view their e-vaccination certificate. The platform will also inform the user about their next due vaccine dose.
One of the most important uses of the digitalisation of vaccination systems would be that vaccination services can be availed "anywhere" in the country at scheduled vaccination sessions.
At an event, Chandra said, “India has the largest population of adolescents in the world, 253 million strong, and growing. Our adolescents are the backbone of our future, embodying the promise of a vibrant and progressive nation.”
“We recognise that ensuring their health, education, and empowerment is vital to achieving our national and international development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Chandra, who was speaking at an event on ‘economic case for investment in the well-being of adolescents in India” report.
The report builds on the global findings presented in "Adolescents in a Changing World – The Case for Urgent Investment’ commissioned by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) and released at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
“Our government is dedicated to creating an environment where adolescents can thrive, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to society.”
India is the first country to launch the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), a dedicated program to reach out to 253 million adolescents – male and female, rural and urban, married and unmarried, in and out-of-school adolescents with a particular focus on marginalised and under-served groups.
He said several strides have been made to advance the well-being of adolescents in the country.
The School Health and Wellness Programme under Ayushman Bharat aims to strengthen school children's health promotion and disease prevention interventions using trained teachers.
The Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene is focused on adolescent girls to increase awareness and promote menstrual hygiene practices.
“By fostering partnerships with non-governmental organisations, community leaders, and international agencies, we aim to amplify our efforts and reach every adolescent, regardless of their socio-economic background,” he added.