History
Technical Network for Logistics in Health, or TechNet, was initiated in 1989 to establish a professional network of experts involved in the management of immunization and other primary health care operations both at the grassroots and the global levels.
In 2001, TechNet came to be called the Technical Network for Strengthening Immunization Services, to reflect its sharper focus. The name was shortened to TechNet21, 21 standing for twenty-first century. TechNet21 serves as a forum where issues relevant to the delivery of immunization services can be discussed, debated, and clarified.
Technet21 focuses its effort on the management and operational logistics of national immunization programmes as well as the integration of other logistical elements into primary health service delivery in developing countries.
To aid the achievement of this goal, the TechNet electronic forum was launched in 1998. The forum soon became the hub for immunization news, views and discussion. As the world of immunization evolved, the Safe Injection Global Network (SIGN) was born to address some of the issues formerly addressed by TechNet. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) was also formed in 1999 to coordinate the immunization-strengthening efforts of key agencies like WHO and UNICEF.
TechNet’s priorities have kept pace with field-level realities. In 1999, management and implementation of known technologies was identified as the goal of health services logistics for the next 10 years, parallely innovation was encouraged to solve new problems.
At the New Delhi meeting in 2001, the participants identified the following as the core functional areas of TechNet21:
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Establishing a resource pool of immunization experts and linking them to projects and job opportunities. This is done through the posting of needs on the TechNet Forum, and through a validated database of experts kept at the secretariat.
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Generating ideas on how to improve immunization services at the national level by working with GAVI and its partners, and with countries and regional working groups.
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Undertaking a reality check on the policy and technology options proposed by WHO and other GAVI partner organizations, and bringing a field perspective to these proposals.
Information dissemination was further strengthened through the launching of the TechNet website in mid-November 2002.
TechNet’s efforts to provide updated content, increase reliability and relevance of the information and increase interactivity through cutting edge web-communication and knowledge tools continue.
