Maternal and Child Survival Program

MCSP/NIGERIA IMMUNIZATION

Use of mHealth to Strengthen Routine Immunization System
and Improve Coverage of Immunized Children

Request for Quotes

Issuance Date: 5 June, 2017
Due Date: 12 June, 2017

Black Swan Tech Ltd is soliciting quotations for the provision of Voice Services (including Programmable Call Connectivity, Programmable Call Recording, Nigerian Phone Number), Messaging Services (including Short Code, Inbound SMS, Outbound SMS) and related Analytics for the WeMUNIZE service, subject to applicable US federal regulations and provisions.

Please submit your most competitive quotation in accordance with the instructions below.

Instructions

Please submit quotations on or before 4:00 pm, local time, on 12 June, 2017. All vendors are to email their quotations to admin@blackswantech.org with the subject, ‘Request for Quotes: Voice and Messaging Services’.

The following information should be provided:

1. Company Name and Address
2. Authorized Contact Person and Contact Information
3. Length of Time the Quote Is Valid
4. Past Performance Information (please provide information on the provision of similar services to three clients in recent years and three verifiable references with contact information)
5. Quotations should certify as to the financial viability and resources of the company to provide the required services

The cost information must be in Naira.

Quotations will be evaluated considering a variety of factors including but not limited to:

• Degree to which the features of proposed service coincide with the required features
• Evidence of corporate registration
• Evidence of registration with tax authorities
• Price (economic value for money)
• Technical support (terms are to be stated in quotation)
• Company longevity and financial stability
• General experience providing similar services

Background

The Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) is a global Cooperative Agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at introducing and supporting high-impact health interventions. This global program focuses on 24 high-priority countries, including Nigeria, with the ultimate goal of ending preventable maternal and child deaths within a generation. MCSP country programs strive to ensure that all women, newborns, and children have equitable access to quality health care services that save lives. Awarded in spring 2014, MCSP supports programming in maternal, newborn and child health, immunization, family planning and reproductive health, nutrition, health systems strengthening, water/sanitation/hygiene, malaria, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and paediatric HIV care and treatment. The program engages governments, policymakers, private sector leaders, health care providers, civil society, faith-based organizations and communities in addressing the major causes of maternal, newborn and child mortality and improving the quality of health services from household to hospital. Health systems strengthening, household and community mobilization, gender integration and eHealth are crosscutting themes and areas of the program’s work. In Nigeria, and in close partnership with the Bauchi and Sokoto State Governments and public and private partners, USAID’s MCSP has launched a technical assistance initiative aimed at strengthening the routine immunization (RI) system to increase and sustain RI coverage and reduce childhood illness and death. USAID’s MCSP will bring new thinking and a prioritized approach to support state commitment to significantly and sustainably increase coverage.

In these two States, USAID has partnered specifically through an MOU with the State Governments, Dangote Foudation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to strengthen Routine Immunization system and improve coverage of immunized children.

The use of mobile technology to support health projects and outcomes, including the processes and programmatic aspects that accompany the technology, is what is known as mHealth. Mobile technology can include such devices as mobile phones, tablets, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). As a market with rising mobile penetration, Nigeria has the opportunity to leverage mobile technology to generate improved health outcomes. By March 2016, the total number of active mobile lines had risen to 148,745,464. Nevertheless, eHealth and mHealth interventions are yet to leverage the scale of mobile penetration in the Nigerian population to make the type of progress that is commensurate to the present challenge in immunization coverage.

WeMUNIZE

WeMUNIZE is a mHealth service that uses robocalls and SMS to influence, remind and persuade mothers, caregivers and their relatives to take children for immunization sessions. WeMUNIZE uses voice recordings of influential personalities and/or religious leaders in local languages to deliver immunization, ‘call-to-action’ messages to mothers and their family members in a timely manner.

Black Swan Tech Ltd was subcontracted by MCSP to deploy WeMUNIZE mHealth service that performs three functions:

1. Scheduling and sending reminders for immunization due
2. Client education and behaviour change communication (BCC)
3. Real-time indicator reporting and generation of data to support policy making

Through demand generation and effective behavioural change communication (BCC), WeMUNIZE targets a reduction in high left out rates and dropout rates.