Victoria, Seychelles, 15th April 2015 - “The outcome of the effective vaccine management assessment has indicated marked improvement in the performance of Seychelles’ vaccine management systems and procedures currently in place”.

This was the concluding remarks of Dr Kenneth Chindedza, a consultant from the World Health Organisation at the debriefing meeting with the Senior Management team of the Ministry of Health late last year. Dr. Chindedza assisted the Ministry of Health in conducting the third national vaccine management assessment. The last assessment was conducted in 2008.

WHO recommends that all country’s carry out an effective vaccine management (EVM) assessment on a regular basis to enable  the country to conduct a systematic analysis of the strengths and weaknesses across nine different areas of vaccine management. These areas include vaccine and commodity arrival procedures, vaccine storage temperatures, storage capacity, buildings, equipment and transport, maintenance, stock management, effective distribution, good vaccine management practices, information systems and supportive management functions.

Dr. Chindedza’s mission in the Seychelles started with training of a small team of local assessors to build their capacity in administration of the EVM tool. This was followed by visits, interviews with staff of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and administration of the tool by Dr Chindedza and the local team in all of the fifteen district health centres providing immunisation services as well as the one storage facility at central level.

The result of the assessment suggests that Seychelles is progressing very well with its vaccine management and that the majority of the recommendations of the 2008 Vaccine Management Assessment have been implemented. The country has a well-defined operational health system, buildings, transport and cold chain equipment was found to be adequate and well maintained, new technologies have been adopted and introduction of new vaccines have been successfully implemented. The country however needs to improve on it Information systems and supportive management function. Following the EVM results, an implementation plan has been drawn focussing on priority interventions to further improve the country’s vaccine management performance in the future.

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For more information, please contact:

Doreen Hotive (Mrs), NPO/HIP Officer
WHO Country Office for Seychelles
Tel: (248) 4224795
Fax: (248) 225754
Email: hotived [at] who.int
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01. WHO Consultant, Dr Chindedza trains EPI nurses on the use of the Fridge Tag for vaccine temperature monitorin

02. The team of assessors in a group photo