Improving EPI coverage by strengthening the capacity of graduating health care professionals and practicing health extension workers

Using innovative social mobilization and capacity building approaches to reduce child mortality by increasing immunization rates.

Immunization is one of the most cost effective public health interventions and a dependent predictor in reducing global child mortality rates as indicated in MDG #4. In many countries, low immunization rates are a result of little to no access to both hard to reach areas and health care facilities. Furthermore, low immunization rates are dependent upon the level of immunization knowledge within a community and the health promotion campaigns directed at increasing immunization education. Some recent evidence based research has focused on increasing immunization rates by using social mobilization and capacity building. Although previous efforts have proved successful in reducing vaccine preventable diseases, there is still a need for continued improvements and strategies that use a multi faceted approach.

The Canadian International Immunization Initiative worked in partnership with three public health associations in to implement and evaluate various innovative approaches that used social mobilization and capacity building to address low vaccine uptake in targeted hard-to-reach areas.

The purpose of this session is to disseminate the technical evidence generated from implementing the Village Health Team strategy in Uganda, involving graduating Health Care Professionals in Ethiopia, and increasing social awareness related to immunization practices in Niger.

The expected outcome will be a better understanding of how to effectively and efficiently engage the communities in increasing immunization rates and decreasing vaccine preventable diseases. In doing so, the audience will also develop an understanding of more efficient approaches to reduce child mortality rates on a global scale.