Zambia adopts India's eVIN platform to modernise medicine supply chain
Synopsis
India's eVIN platform — built to track vaccines — is being adapted for Zambia's entire essential medicines supply chain. A five-day UNDP-led mission in Lusaka is laying the technical groundwork, with Zambia eyeing a role as Africa's regional model for intelligent pharmaceutical logistics. It is one of the clearest examples yet of India's digital public infrastructure travelling south.
Key Takeaways
UNDP Zambia and UNDP India launched a five-day mission in Lusaka from 18–22 May 2025 to adapt India's eVIN platform for Zambia's medicines supply chain.
The mission involves the Zambian Ministry of Health , ZAMMSA , and the Smart Zambia Institute . eVIN enables real-time inventory management, temperature monitoring, and distribution tracking — originally built for vaccine logistics in India.
The initiative operates under a South-South cooperation framework, with technical experts from both countries participating.
Zambia is being positioned as a potential regional model for pharmaceutical supply chain digitalisation across Africa.
A dedicated meeting with the Indian High Commissioner to Zambia will explore sustained bilateral technical support for the pilot phase.
Zambia has taken a significant step toward digitising its pharmaceutical supply chain, as UNDP Zambia and UNDP India convened in Lusaka on 19 May 2025 to launch the adaptation of India's Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) platform for Zambia's essential medicines 'Track and Trace' and supply chain management system. The five-day mission, running from 18 to 22 May, marks a concrete milestone in South-South cooperation between the two nations on digital public health infrastructure.
What the Mission Covers
The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), and the Smart Zambia Institute. Technical experts from both Zambia and India are participating in working sessions and field assessments spanning national, provincial, district, and facility levels.
Discussions are focused on interoperability with existing digital health platforms, governance arrangements, workflow adaptation, reporting requirements, metadata architecture, operational bottlenecks, and institutional readiness for a pilot implementation. A dedicated engagement with the Indian High Commissioner to Zambia is also on the agenda to explore sustained bilateral collaboration.
What eVIN Brings to the Table
Originally developed in India to strengthen vaccine logistics and stock visibility, the eVIN platform has evolved into a globally recognised digital public health solution. It enables real-time inventory management, temperature monitoring, and improved distribution efficiency, according to a statement issued by the UNDP. Zambia is now exploring its adaptation to support broader essential medicines management and health commodity tracking — extending its utility well beyond vaccines.
Notably, this is not a turnkey deployment but a deliberate adaptation process, acknowledging that Zambia's health system architecture, governance structures, and operational workflows differ from India's.
Why This Matters for Zambia
The mission arrives at what the UNDP describes as 'a critical time,' as Zambia faces increasing pressure on health financing systems and growing demand for digital accountability mechanisms. Medicine stockouts and wastage remain persistent challenges across sub-Saharan Africa, and a functional track-and-trace system could materially reduce both.
The initiative aligns with Zambia's national digital transformation agenda and its health systems strengthening priorities. According to the UNDP, the mission is also expected to position Zambia as a potential regional model for intelligent pharmaceutical supply chain systems across Africa.
India-Zambia Digital Health Cooperation
The collaboration sits within a broader framework of India exporting its digital public infrastructure — from UPI to CoWIN to eVIN — to developing nations through South-South and multilateral channels. For India, Zambia's adoption of eVIN adds to a growing portfolio of global deployments that reinforce the credibility of its homegrown health-tech solutions.
The UNDP statement noted that by leveraging proven digital public infrastructure models, the initiative seeks to 'improve stock visibility, reduce medicine wastage and stockouts, strengthen accountability, and support timely access to essential medicines for communities across Zambia.' The outcomes of this mission's field assessments and technical sessions are expected to shape the roadmap for the pilot phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is India's eVIN platform and why is it being adapted for Zambia?
The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) is a digital platform developed in India to provide real-time visibility into vaccine stocks and cold-chain logistics. Zambia is adapting it to track essential medicines more broadly, aiming to reduce stockouts, cut wastage, and improve supply chain accountability across its health system.
Who is involved in the Zambia eVIN adaptation mission?
The mission is being led by UNDP Zambia and UNDP India, in collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), and the Smart Zambia Institute. Technical experts from both India and Zambia are participating in the five-day working sessions.
When is the mission taking place and what does it involve?
The mission runs from 18 to 22 May 2025 in Lusaka. It includes technical working sessions, field assessments at national, provincial, district, and facility levels, and discussions on interoperability, governance, metadata architecture, and readiness for a pilot implementation.
How does this mission fit into India-Zambia relations?
The initiative is framed under a South-South cooperation framework and includes a dedicated engagement with the Indian High Commissioner to Zambia to explore sustained bilateral collaboration. It is part of a broader pattern of India exporting its digital public infrastructure — including UPI and CoWIN — to developing nations.
What impact could eVIN have on Zambia's health system?
According to the UNDP, successful adaptation of eVIN could improve medicine stock visibility, reduce wastage and stockouts, and support timely access to essential medicines for communities across Zambia. The UNDP also expects the initiative to position Zambia as a regional model for pharmaceutical supply chain digitalisation in Africa.
