IMMUNIZATION SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS – a neglected but essential system for national immunization programmes
A Call to Action for national programmes and the global community by the who immunization practices advisory committee
WHO Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC) MARCH 2014 :: 24 pages
ENGLISH: http://apps.who.int/immunization/call-to-action_ipac-iscl.pdf
FRANCAIS: http://www.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/137320/1/WHO_IVB_14.05_fre.pdf
[Excerpts from introduction to report]
We the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC) members, call on national immunization programmes and the global community to review and renew investment in their Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics (ISCL) systems; otherwise, the benefits of immunization programmes will be jeopardized by obstacles limiting access to, and use of, effective vaccines.
Call-to-Action
The Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics (ISCL) systems, which were designed in the 1980s, have supported the achievement of acceptable vaccination coverage, using coping mechanisms to overcome enduring challenges in vaccine storage, distribution and management. The dedication, intelligence and creativity of health workers acting within outdated ISCL systems have substituted for much-needed assets and capital. Despite many efforts, national immunization programmes, already struggling to meet the demands of routine immunization and supplemental campaigns, may not be in the best position to respond to the introduction of all the new vaccines.

A widening variety of new vaccines and immunization schedules, a diversity of service delivery strategies, an expanding target population, increased cold-chain infrastructure requirements and insufficient funding, are just a few of the new realities that will further stress ISCL systems, which were initially designed to manage fewer, less expensive and less bulky vaccines and related supplies. Existing systems cannot keep pace with the changing landscape of national immunization programmes, resulting in stock-outs, potential administration of ineffective vaccines, avoidable wastage and inadequate cold-chain capacity, all of which have considerable coverage, performance and cost implications. These inefficiencies not only hinder the ability to provide much-needed immunizations, they also yield a lower return in health outcomes for those investing in the research, production, procurement and delivery of vaccines, threatening the dependability of future funding sources.

The growth in complexity of immunization programmes is occurring at the same time as the development and application of innovative supply chain strategies and technology, especially in the private sector. In the public sector, national immunization programmes, and the global community that supports them, have an opportunity to improve their performance and a mandate to provide the right vaccines in the right quantities, in the right condition, at the right time, in the right place and at the right supply chain cost.