Immunization supply chain and logistics: a Call to Action

On behalf of the WHO Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC), I'm pleased to let you know about this advocacy document, now available on the WHO website, that summarises IPAC's concerns regarding lack of investment in Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics (ISCL). This work was approved by IPAC and presented to the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) in October 2013, then endorsed by SAGE in April 2014. This advocacy links with others' work on this critical topic, such as the WHO-UNICEF Effective Vaccine Management strategy (http://www.who.int/immunization/programmes_systems/supply_chain/), and the supply chain strategy launched by GAVI in 2014. Links to English and French versions of the publication are: ENGLISH: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/131568/1/WHO_IVB_14.05_eng.pdf FRANCAIS: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/137320/1/WHO_IVB_14.05_fre.pdf In this document, "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", the WHO IPAC advocates greater action by both national programmes and the global immunization community to strengthen ISCL. In response to a rapidly changing and increasingly complex vaccination landscape where supply chain and logistics systems are not keeping pace, the IPAC calls on national immunization programmes to measure, monitor and invest in their ISCL systems, and to plan and implement improvements. In addition, the IPAC calls on the global community of partners to increase awareness and investment, to harmonize ISCL silos, to address ISCL when formulating immunization recommendations, and to identify and resolve knowledge gaps. The short Call-to-Action document provides some background evidence and proposes specific strategies.