The Digital Innovation in Pandemic Control (DIPC) project (2022–2025)—a partnership between Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Digital Square at PATH—has worked closely with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to strengthen Ghana’s digital immunization ecosystem. Recognizing the challenges of fragmented, non-interoperable systems, the DIPC project team and GHS conducted a comprehensive mapping of digital tools supporting immunization, identifying key gaps and priorities for national scale-up.DIPC project pillars in Ghana:Enhancing the DHIS2 E-Tracker’s Child Health Module: The project, led by GHS, Digital Square at PATH, and HISP-Ghana, upgraded the Child Health Module to serve as Ghana’s national electronic immunization registry for all children under five. New features include tracking of routine vaccinations and integrated child growth monitoring alongside immunization workflows to support integrated child health, improved vaccine stock management, and adverse event reporting. A phased rollout led by GHS is underway across eight regions, targeting 3,700 facilities and an estimated 300,000 clients.Building health worker capacity: The DIPC project facilitated national, regional, and facility-level training to ensure effective use of the enhanced E-Tracker Child Health Module. Over 1,400 health workers—including Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) staff, regional and district officers, and nurses—have been trained, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and local ownership.Supporting interoperability: The project also developed detailed requirements for an interoperability layer (IOL) that can be used by GHS to evaluate candidate software solutions, laying the groundwork for seamless data exchange between digital health systems. This work aligns with Ghana’s digital health strategy and supports more efficient, data-driven immunization services.Advancing technical readiness for TB data verification: In 2025, the DIPC project team launched a proof of concept to show how Ghana could securely share tuberculosis (TB) health data using international standards. GHS, Digital Square at PATH, and HISP-Ghana partnered to use Ghana’s DHIS2 E-Tracker system to create a digital summary of a patient’s TB information. This digital summary, called an International Patient Summary (IPS), is linked to a QR code. The DIPC project team tested this innovation in a secure demo environment to mimic real-world conditions. This innovation showcases how health workers will be able to scan the QR code and access the patient’s TB information even when the patient moves to different health facilities, thereby providing more seamless TB care. Digital Square at PATH also helped Ghana begin the process of joining the WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN), which will allow the country to verify and share health data across borders.Key results to date:Facilities using new/enhanced solutions: 3 (with phased expansion ongoing)Registered users: 50Registered clients: 3,660Vaccinations recorded: 22,330Training sessions held: 49, with 1,487 people trained (483 women, 704 men)Demonstrated improvements: The enhanced CHM has reduced manual data entry errors, improved record-keeping, and enabled real-time tracking of immunization schedules.Broader impact:The DIPC project’s work in Ghana is setting a model for sustainable, interoperable digital health systems that can adapt to evolving health needs and future pandemics. The addition of TB-specific IPS capabilities positions Ghana as a technical leader in global health data exchange and verification. By aligning with WHO standards and engaging partners such as GHS, HISP-Ghana, and GIZ, the project ensures long-term scalability and sets the stage for secure cross-border data sharing. The collaborative, standards-based approach strengthens Ghana’s digital health infrastructure and empowers health workers and patients alike to benefit from more efficient, secure, and inclusive care delivery.
