Mozambique uses AI to boost child vaccinations
A platform called PAAD analyzes health data to identify areas needing more vaccines, aiming to reach children who have never been vaccinated.
A new artificial intelligence platform, PAAD, is helping Mozambique identify areas with low vaccination coverage to improve immunization rates. The Advanced Data Analytics Platform, developed by Zenysis Technologies with the Ministry of Health and Gavi, is expanding to over 80 districts across six provinces. This tool integrates data from more than 10 health systems, providing a unified view of vaccination indicators, vaccine availability, and service performance.
This initiative addresses the fact that 24% of Mozambican children are "zero dose," meaning they have never received routine vaccines, according to 2022-2023 data. Gabriel Risk Martins, director of partnerships at Zenysis, stated that PAAD offers teams a clearer picture of vaccination activity in one place. In Zambézia province, immunization official Alberto Jacenau found the platform simplified data analysis, allowing him to complete tasks in a fraction of the time previously needed with Excel.
Technological advancements coincide with improved vaccination indicators, with DTP3 vaccine coverage rising from 55% in 2022 to 70% in 2023, according to Unicef and WHO data. The PAAD technology was initially used in the response to Cyclone Idai in 2019, helping reduce cholera cases in Sofala province from about 400 daily to zero in under a month. Mozambique announced in September the expansion of PAAD from 15 to over 80 districts.