The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zambia and UNDP India have joined forces in Lusaka to introduce support for adapting India’s Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) platform for Zambia’s essential medicines “Track and Trace” and supply chain management system. This five-day mission, taking place from May 18–22, involves collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), and the Smart Zambia Institute. The initiative aims to enhance pharmaceutical supply chain visibility, accountability, and data-driven decision-making in the health sector through a South-South cooperation framework.
Technical experts from Zambia and India have come together under this initiative to explore the adaptation of the eVIN platform, originally developed in India for vaccine logistics and stock visibility, to support broader essential medicines management and health commodity tracking in Zambia. The platform is recognized globally as a digital public health solution that enables real-time inventory management, temperature monitoring, and enhanced distribution efficiency.
Amid increasing pressure on health financing systems and a rising demand for digital accountability mechanisms, this mission is crucial for Zambia as it strives to bolster resilience, transparency, and sustainability in the health sector. Aligned with Zambia’s national digital transformation agenda and health systems strengthening priorities, the initiative also supports ongoing efforts to modernize medicine supply chain management. The delegation will engage with key officials, conduct technical sessions, and assess field operations at various levels during the mission.
The discussions during the mission will center on interoperability with existing digital health platforms, governance arrangements, workflow adaptation, reporting requirements, metadata architecture, operational challenges, and institutional readiness for pilot implementation. Furthermore, the mission is expected to deepen India–Zambia cooperation in digital health innovation and position Zambia as a potential regional model for intelligent pharmaceutical supply chain systems in Africa. The engagement with the Indian High Commissioner to Zambia and UNDP teams will explore opportunities for sustained bilateral collaboration and technical support for the pilot phase.
By leveraging South-South cooperation and established digital public infrastructure models, the initiative aims to enhance stock visibility, reduce medicine wastage and stockouts, strengthen accountability, and ensure timely access to essential medicines for communities across Zambia.
