Knowledge Management for Immunization Policy

The buzz words, knowledge management are used to describe a range of strategies and practices that an organization can use to identify, present, distribute, and enable the adoption of specific insights and experiences gained through formal or informal networks formed among employees and other stakeholders. It seems like this term has become everyday language to corporations- each one boasting of how their networks have proved to improve competitive advantage, performance, innovation and integration. Although knowledge management strategies are not as clearly defined in public health and development efforts, it has infact become an integral part of advocacy efforts for vaccine/immunization policy.


Many vaccines are implemented very slowly, especially in developing countries. Every year, close to 11 million children die from vaccine-preventable diseases. An article in the McKinsey Quarterly highlighted the importance of building stakeholder network maps to determine the informal channels through which knowledge can flow, specifically with regards to decision-making around vaccine adoption. In maps such as this one, the nodes itself represent various influencers, the colors of the nodes indicate organizational affiliation, and the size of the nodes show the level of input sought from the person/organization it represents. Understanding who influences the process of vaccine adoption in developing countries allows international funding and advocacy agencies such as GAVI & AVI-TAC to direct their resources and efforts towards the optimal channels in order to accelerate the adoption of life-saving vaccines into national immunization schedules.

( Figure from 'A better way to speed the adoption of new vaccines: Mapping the way decision makers interact could hasten the introduction of vaccines.' McKinsey & Company. The McKinsey Quarterly. August 2008.)