How can health informatics training support the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in South Sudan?

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign highlighted several health informatics training needs: training on the COVID-19 vaccine tracking system (which used DHIS2); training on cold chain monitoring and reporting; training on adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) reporting; and training on data quality for vaccination coverage reporting. The campaign also demonstrated the importance of having a cadre of trained health informatics professionals who can be rapidly deployed to support emergency health information system needs.

SSHIA supported the COVID-19 vaccination campaign by providing rapid training on the DHIS2 vaccine tracking system and deploying SSHIA-trained health informatics professionals to support data management at national and state levels. The experience reinforced the importance of investing in health informatics capacity before emergencies occur, rather than trying to build capacity during a crisis.