EBODAC · Project

Mobile Tools to Boost Vaccine Uptake and Track Coverage in Hard-to-Reach Communities

healthPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you need to vaccinate thousands of people in remote areas, but many don't trust vaccines, live far from clinics, and need to come back for a second shot weeks later. EBODAC built a mobile-phone-based system that sends reminders, educates people about Ebola vaccines in their own language, and tracks who actually showed up. They also created a way to verify that the same person comes back for the booster — not someone else — and developed communication strategies based on local research to overcome fear and distrust around vaccination.

By the numbers

EUR 20,328,856

EU funding for development

consortium partners

countries in consortium

total project deliverables

demo deliverables (identification tool and platform)

The business problem

What needed solving

Getting people in remote, low-trust communities to accept vaccines and return for required second doses is a major barrier to successful vaccination campaigns. Without reliable tracking, coverage data is fragmented or missing, identity verification fails, and booster compliance drops — wasting doses and leaving populations unprotected.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a mobile-phone-based platform for vaccine recalls, education, and coverage tracking; an identification tool to verify individuals across prime and booster doses; a communication strategy backed by local anthropology research; and a training program with helpdesk support — totaling 21 deliverables including 2 demo-ready tools.

Audience

Who needs this

International health organizations running multi-dose vaccination campaigns (WHO, GAVI, MSF)mHealth companies building patient compliance and recall platformsVaccine manufacturers needing last-mile deployment support toolsGovernment health ministries in low- and middle-income countriesNGOs managing health programs in resource-limited or emergency settings

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Global Health & Vaccination Programs

enterprise

Target: International health organizations and NGOs running vaccination campaigns

If you are a global health organization struggling with low vaccine uptake in remote communities — this project developed a mobile-phone-based recall and education platform tested for Ebola vaccine deployment across 5 countries. The system handles the critical problem of ensuring people return for multi-dose regimens, backed by EUR 20,328,856 in development funding and 21 deliverables including identification and tracking tools.

Mobile Health (mHealth) Technology

any

Target: mHealth software companies building patient engagement platforms

If you are an mHealth company looking to expand into vaccination tracking and patient compliance — this project built and trialed a complete mobile platform for vaccine recalls, patient identification matching, and coverage tracking in resource-limited settings. The consortium included Grameen Foundation's mobile software expertise and was designed to work where infrastructure is minimal.

Pharmaceutical & Vaccine Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Vaccine manufacturers needing deployment support tools

If you are a vaccine manufacturer dealing with the last-mile challenge of getting multi-dose vaccines into arms — this project solved the prime/booster compliance problem with identity verification tools and community communication strategies. Developed with Janssen as the industry partner, the platform addresses real deployment barriers like distrust, distance from clinics, and fragmented coverage data.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or deploy this platform?

Based on available project data, the platform was developed with EUR 20,328,856 in EU funding across a 6-partner consortium. Licensing terms are not specified in the public data. Contact the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for commercial arrangements.

Can this scale beyond Ebola to other vaccination campaigns?

The core platform — mobile recalls, identity verification, coverage tracking — addresses universal vaccination deployment challenges, not just Ebola-specific ones. The two-dose prime/booster tracking problem exists for many vaccines. The system was designed for resource-limited settings, making it applicable wherever infrastructure is minimal.

Who owns the intellectual property?

The consortium includes Janssen (EFPIA industry partner) and Grameen Foundation (mobile software developer), alongside the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as coordinator. IP arrangements between these 6 partners across 5 countries would need to be clarified directly with the coordinator.

Was this actually tested in real field conditions?

The demo deliverables include a 'Test identification tool ready (for trial)' and a 'Test platform ready (trial)', indicating the tools reached trial-readiness. The 6-year project duration (2014-2020) and involvement of World Vision (field operations expertise) suggest real-world deployment conditions.

How does the identity verification tool work?

Based on the project objective, the identification tool was built to match the identity of individuals between prime and booster vaccine doses. This solves the specific risk of a different person showing up for the booster shot. Technical implementation details would need to be obtained from the consortium.

Does this meet regulatory requirements for health data?

The project was funded under the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI2) with Janssen as the pharmaceutical industry partner, which typically requires compliance with health data regulations. Specific regulatory certifications are not detailed in the available project data.

What ongoing support is available?

The project closed in November 2020. The consortium included 6 partners with complementary expertise in vaccine development, mobile health software, and field deployment. Post-project support availability should be confirmed with the coordinator at LSHTM.

Consortium

Who built it

The 6-partner consortium spans 5 countries (BE, IE, SL, UK, US) with a deliberate mix of capabilities: Janssen brings pharmaceutical industry weight and vaccine development expertise, LSHTM provides academic rigor on vaccine acceptance research, World Vision contributes field deployment experience in emergency settings, and Grameen Foundation handles mobile software development for low-resource environments. The 17% industry ratio reflects the public-health focus, but Janssen's involvement as the sole EFPIA partner signals commercial pharmaceutical interest. For a business buyer, this consortium means the platform was built by teams who actually deploy health tools in difficult environments — not just lab researchers.

LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE ROYAL CHARTERCoordinator · UK
JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICA NVparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine — search for EBODAC project lead or principal investigator on the LSHTM staff directory

Order a report on this consortium See LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE ROYAL CHARTER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing this mHealth vaccination platform or adapting it for your deployment needs? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people in the consortium.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical