Effective vaccine management and Oman's healthcare system's challenge to maintain high global standards.

Abstract

The prevention of infection through vaccination has been among the most successful public health interventions. Nearly 2.5 million deaths per year globally are saved by immunization against vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) (WHO, 2013) [1]. Oman has experienced a sharp decline in VPDs over the last 40 years due to the introduction of new vaccines and the maintenance of high vaccination coverage of over 99%. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched the effective vaccine management (EVM) framework to assist countries to gauge the performance of their immunization supply chains. Oman underwent the assessment in 2016 and scored the best score to date. This report looks at the process of EVM and the challenges for the Oman healthcare system to maintain high global standards.