A recent partnership between Orange, GAVI and the Cote d’Ivoire Ministry of Health called “M-Vaccin Côte d’ Ivoire” is aiming to increase child immunization rates in regions with the least coverage. Orange will utilize a text and voice messaging system to inform patients of the importance of vaccination in the local language.  Families are also reminded of their children’s immunization schedule to help ensure that appointments are not missed.

Since many people in Cote d’Ivoire live far from health centers, parents often aren’t well informed on the benefits of immunization. Globally, immunization currently prevents between two to three million deaths annually and more children than ever before are being vaccinated. However, it remains a challenge to reach those in remote and low-resource settings. This partnership is an innovative attempt to tackle those challenges.

Orange is also planning to equip health workers with a mobile app to collect data which will help create a personalized immunization schedule for each family. The partnership will span five years and will be implemented in the 29 districts where immunization coverage is below the national average and where drop-out rates are above 10 percent. The program is estimated to reach about 800,000 children.

photo credit: GAVI