About:

eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) is an indigenously developed technology system in India that digitizes vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a smartphone application.

Introduced in 2015, the eVIN is being implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

The integrated solution combines:

• Technology : to facilitate evidence-based decision-making by making available online real-time information on vaccine stocks and storage temperature through the eVIN application software and temperature loggers;
• Governance: to ensure efficient vaccine logistics management by systemizing record keeping through standardizing stock and distribution registers; identifying gaps and improving clarity on vaccine cold chain network; drawing attention to infrastructure upgrades; developing standard operating procedures; and encouraging good practices;
• Human Resources: to empower the state cold chain network by building the capacities of government cold chain handlers; and deploying vaccine and cold chain managers in every district for constant support to estimate vaccine requirements, supervise cold chain handlers and coordinate with cold chain technicians across the district.

Why in News ?

The eVIN system has been used with the requisite customization during the COVID pandemic for ensuring continuation of the essential immunization services and protecting our children and pregnant mothers against vaccine preventable diseases.

Benefits of eVIN during Covid Pandemic:

• It has helped create a big data architecture that generates actionable analytics encouraging data-driven decision-making and consumption-based planning.
• It helps in maintaining optimum stocks of vaccines leading to cost savings. 

About NHM

• National Health Mission (NHM) was launched by the Government of India in 2013 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission. 
• The main programmatic components include Health System Strengthening in rural and urban areas for – Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases. 
• The NHM envisages achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable & quality health care services that are accountable and responsive to people’s needs.
• The National Health Mission seeks to ensure the achievement of the following indicators:
  • Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to 1/1000 live births
  • Reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 25/1000 live births
  • Reduce Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1
  • Prevention and reduction of anaemia in women aged 15–49 years
  • Prevent and reduce mortality & morbidity from communicable, non- communicable; injuries and emerging diseases
  • Reduce household out-of-pocket expenditure on total health care expenditure
  • Reduce annual incidence and mortality from Tuberculosis by half
  • Reduce prevalence of Leprosy to <1/10000 population and incidence to zero in all districts
  • Annual Malaria Incidence to be <1/1000
  • Less than 1 per cent microfilaria prevalence in all districts
  • Kala-azar Elimination by 2015, <1 case per 10000 population in all blocks

References:

1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1643172
2. https://vikaspedia.in/health/health-care-innovations/health-system-strengthening-1/evin-project-of-health-ministry