Public health stakeholders in Nigeria have endorsed PlanFeld, a digital micro-planning tool developed by eHealth Africa, for its effectiveness in transforming the immunization planning ecosystem across the country.
Key participants from the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), state Emergency Operations Centers in Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Kebbi, as well as other public health partners, gathered in Abuja for a comprehensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) of the PlanFeld platform.
During step-by-step hands-on demonstrations, stakeholders witnessed how PlanFeld simplifies and accelerates the creation of Daily Implementation Plans (DIPs), improves data quality, shortens planning cycles, and enhances decision-making during immunization campaigns.
The Deputy Incident Manager of the NEOC emphasized the central role of microplanning in the success of public health campaigns and highlighted the need for a standardized, realistic database. He commended eHealth Africa for taking the lead in leveraging digital innovation to streamline planning processes in Nigeria.
“eHealth Africa has championed the use of technology for years and continues to evolve by introducing new digital innovations to improve campaign planning,” he said.
Dr. Abdullahi Musa Garba, Incident Manager at the Kaduna State Emergency Operations Center, underscored the urgency of moving away from outdated manual methods. According to him, what once took a week to accomplish—developing a DIP—can now be completed in just 30 minutes using PlanFeld.
“With PlanFeld, we gain real-time visibility into resources, team movements, and vaccine distribution. This is a major strategic shift,” Dr. Garba noted. “It enhances accountability and reduces vaccine wastage by allowing supervisors to track where and when teams are expected in specific settlements.”
He urged stakeholders to embrace digital tools like PlanFeld to achieve faster, more accurate, and more efficient health campaign outcomes.
Niger State Immunization Officer, Usman Abubakar Kpantu, described the platform as a “game-changer,” praising its user-friendly interface and speed. He said that generating comprehensive microplans, which previously took days, can now be done in minutes—saving time and improving targeting accuracy.
Kpantu also called for PlanFeld to be extended to the local government level for use by frontline implementers, including Ward Focal Persons and Local Immunization Officers (LIOs).
Echoing this sentiment, Abubakar Kaoje, Kebbi State Immunization Officer, noted that PlanFeld equips public health workers with better clarity and control during microplanning. He emphasized its value in identifying and addressing high-risk and hard-to-reach areas.
“During the training, we even mapped out security-compromised settlements. That’s progress,” he said, while advocating for increased collaboration between national and state teams to ensure standardized implementation and ongoing support.
Following its success in pilot states such as Kebbi, stakeholders expressed strong optimism that PlanFeld could be scaled nationally to support routine immunization, campaign planning, and broader public health initiatives.
As the global health community increasingly embraces data-driven decision-making, tools like PlanFeld are poised to become essential infrastructure for national immunization programs.
