NHA pitches for integrating U-WIN platform with Unified Health Interface for immunization make unique title from original.

This is similar to the approach adopted for CoWIN when vaccination slots were booked during the covid epidemic and will help people discover vaccination services. As part of the plan, efforts are being made to book vaccination slots using any mobile application, such as Paytm and PhonePe.

UHI is a component of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) that has been developed as an open network to enable interoperability across digital health services. UHI enables healthcare providers across multiple digital platforms to be discoverable to people using any UHI-enabled end-user application.

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“UHI integration will further strengthen the immunization ecosystem as these services can be made available to citizens across many consumer applications. This would not only impact the 74 million beneficiaries registered on U-WIN till date but also expand access for unregistered beneficiaries through other ABDM-enabled solutions, aiding the programe’s adoption. In this regard, it is highly recommended that U-WIN, the national immunization programme, becomes UHI-enabled to enhance accessibility of and efficiency in service delivery of immunization across the country, working towards the common aim of the broader reach and awareness,” said Kiran Gopal Vaska, joint secretary, NH, in a letter dated 10 February to the health ministry, seen by Mint.

U-WIN is a major technological tool of the health ministry for ensuring real-time vaccination tracking and improving immunization coverage for eligible beneficiaries such as pregnant women, infants and children. Till 31 January, UWIN had created 955,000 ABHAs and linked 240,000 vaccination records from 19,184 health facilities across all states/UTs.

“In order to further expand the citizens access to the U-WIN, it is proposed that U-WIN integrates with UHI,” Vaska said.

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He said that the proposed UHI-UWIN integration will help citizens to discover immunization services, locate nearby vaccination centres, and schedule appointments through any UHI-enabled application.

“This approach is similar to the one which was adopted by the ministry for the vaccination rollout through CoWIN. The integration with UHI, will increase and democratize access to U-WIN’s available service to a broader set of citizens,” said the official.

“CoWIN platform found remarkable success during the early part of the pandemic, facilitating nationwide vaccination coverage within just a few months. Likewise, U-WIN is also designed to integrate with other national health initiatives, such as the ABDM. This integration will eventually allow healthcare professionals to access comprehensive and accurate health records, improving the quality of care provided across all strata of society. Users will have the opportunity to book vaccination appointments at a centre near to their place of residence, and receive reminders via SMS. It will serve to improve vaccination coverage and reduce the future risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases,” said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, a public health expert and former president, Indian Medical Association, Cochin.

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He added that as with all new initiatives, challenges are only to be expected. “These include variability in platform adoption between states, manpower constraints, and the need to collect and input data from private healthcare providers.”

Dr Sachithananda Kamath, former national president of the Indian Association of Pediatrics said there should be some system in place to check vaccinations being done in the private sector. “The whole purpose is that no child should be left without vaccine.”

Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered.