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Are you interested in lessons and country experiences addressing HPV demand generation and vaccine acceptance strategies or designing and managing electronic immunisation registries (EIRs) to improve immunisation outcomes? Read below to find critical resources to learn more about how you can strengthen immunisation programming across these and other topic areas!
Country representatives and partners from Cuba, Kosovo, Mongolia, the Philippines, Tunisia, and Viet Nam, exchanged lessons and experiences related to barriers, misconceptions, and successful strategies to build trust, acceptance, and uptake of the HPV vaccine.
A virtual learning session engaged countries on the topic of single-dose HPV vaccination, supporting their decision-making with critical information regarding the available evidence, lessons learned, and implementation “how-to” strategies, with experiences from Guyana and Estonia highlighted.
Another virtual learning session facilitated the exchange of experiences, lessons learned, and approaches for implementing and reconciling national IDs, civil registration and vital statistics, and electronic immunisation registries, as well as the challenges associated with determining an accurate denominator.
Kurt Yorke, IT Manager, Ministry of Health, Guyana, and I, Kezang Wangmo, Program Officer, Ministry of Health, Bhutan, discussed challenges their countries are facing with managing EIRs, strategies they’re implementing to address these challenges, and lessons learned from the recent Linked learning engagement in this Practitioner Perspective video interview.
Linked country dashboards were updated with 2023 WUENIC data, plus a new dashboard showing regional trends in vaccine coverage and backsliding was published. We encourage you to check them out.
Finally, the global immunisation community published relevant literature, case studies, and costing evidence to aid in decision-making for HPV vaccine delivery, reaching zero-dose children, strengthening supportive supervision, and more. Keep reading below to uncover key insights!
Warm regards,
Kezang Wangmo, Program Officer, Ministry of Health, Bhutan
Network Updates
Linked Workshop on New vaccine introduction in Middle Income Countries: HPV Demand generation and vaccine acceptance strategies
Linked convened country representatives and partners from Cuba, Kosovo, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam, to exchange lessons and experiences related to barriers, misconceptions, and successful strategies to build trust, acceptance, and uptake of the HPV vaccine in communities, with special attention to gender, religious, and cultural contexts. Participants also discussed costing and budgeting implications for implementing different strategies and ways in which they could be incorporated into existing national immunisation action plans. Explore country experiences in the workshop materials here.
Linked webinar on One-dose HPV vaccination: Evidence, lessons learned and strategies with experiences from Guyana and Estonia
Choosing or switching to a single dose HPV vaccination can simplify delivery and lower program costs. It can also help reduce the potential for supply shortages and alleviate delivery challenges such as those encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Linked held a virtual learning session to aid countries who are in the initial stages of introducing the HPV vaccine or considering a switch, strengthening their decision-making with critical information regarding the available evidence, tradeoffs, lessons, and strategies, with experiences from Guyana and Estonia. Learn more in the webinar materials here.
Linked webinar on Getting to an accurate denominator: How to get your all your digital identifiers to work together
Linked held a virtual learning session that facilitated the exchange of experiences, lessons, and approaches for implementing and reconciling national IDs, civil registration and vital statistics, and electronic immunisation registers, and challenges with getting to an accurate denominator. Participants heard the country experiences of Moldova, Thailand, and Estonia, before diving into a peer exchange. Uncover key insights in the webinar materials here.
Linked Practitioner Perspective: Designing and managing electronic immunisation registers (EIRs) to improve immunisation outcomes
During our workshop focused on Designing and managing electronic immunisation registers (EIRs) to improve immunisation outcomes, we sat down with Kezang Wangmo, Program Officer, Ministry of Health, Bhutan, and Kurt Yorke, IT Manager, Ministry of Health, Guyana, to discuss the challenges their countries are facing with managing EIRs, strategies they’re implementing to address these challenges, and lessons learned from the Linked learning engagement. Discover their experiences and insights in our practitioner perspective video, available in English, here.
Updated Former Gavi country dashboards + new backsliding dashboard
Linked former Gavi country dashboards have been updated with 2023 WUENIC data. These dashboards aim to help middle-income countries track their progress toward strong immunisation programme performance and provide a snapshot of coverage, equity, financing, and new vaccine introductions. Additionally, Linked has published a new dashboard that highlights regional trends in vaccine coverage and backsliding. See how your country is performing here and reach out to Linked Network Facilitators if you would like to learn more from one of your peer countries.
Featured News & Resources
Decision-Making Considerations and Drivers of Country-Level Adoption or Switch to a Single-Dose HPV Vaccination Schedule
These materials highlight the complex decision-making processes surrounding the adoption of single-dose vaccination strategies for HPV, highlighting both enabling and constraining forces at country level. The findings can support single-dose HPV vaccine advocates as they work to expedite evidence-informed country decision-making in an increasingly complex immunisation ecosystem.
1. Technical Report
2. Global Assessment Brief
3. Global Assessment Presentation
Determinants of costs of HPV vaccine delivery in six low- and middle-income countries
A study led by PATH aimed to identify the programmatic and operational factors associated with variations in economic costs for HPV vaccine delivery, within and across six low- and middle-income countries: Ethiopia, Guyana, Rwanda, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. This study provides evidence to HPV vaccination program stakeholders on which program context variables impact costs, which can inform program adjustment to improve cost efficiency, especially as programs managers work to revitalize and rebuild HPV vaccine coverage after the COVID-19 pandemic. Examine the findings here.
Review on the challenges and recommendations for delivering HPV vaccination in resource-limited settings
The rollout of HPV vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa has faced several challenges, such as the high cost of vaccine procurement, a lack of funding and political will from the central governments of countries, and inadequate infrastructure for vaccine cold chain storage and transport. A new publication discusses the barriers to human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa, lessons learned from sub-Saharan African countries that have implemented national HPV vaccination programs, and the future of HPV vaccination, based on a narrative review. Learn more about the challenges and recommendations here.
Case Study: Accelerating Vaccine Access in a Post COVID-19 Environment – Concurrent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) Introductions in The Republic of Indonesia
In pursuit of documenting and analyzing Indonesia’s landmark efforts to concurrently introduce the PCV and RVV vaccines in the same year, this case study presents valuable insights for global health stakeholders on overcoming challenges and optimizing vaccine rollouts in similar contexts, promoting resilience and equity in immunisation efforts worldwide. Download the case study here.
New modeling study reevaluates the impact and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction in 112 LMICs
A new study, which estimated the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction, has found that delays in PCV rollout globally and low PCV coverage have cost many lives. The findings of the study underscore the importance of rapidly scaling up PCV to achieve high coverage and maximize vaccine impact. Read the full article here.
Prevalence and Trends of Not Receiving a Dose of DPT-Containing Vaccine Among Children 12–35 Months: An Analysis of 81 Low- And Middle-Income Countries
Not receiving a DPT-containing vaccine in early childhood indicates an absence of routine immunisation, which puts children at an elevated risk of mortality, morbidity, and worse human development over the life course. This study estimated the percentage of children 12–35 months who did not receive a dose of DPT-containing vaccine using household surveys from 81 low- and middle-income countries conducted between 2014 and 2023. Review the findings here.
Strengthening Supportive Supervision in Immunisation Programmes
Supportive supervision is highly effective in improving staff performance, satisfaction, and retention. By fostering a positive and collaborative work environment, it enhances communication, reduces stress, and promotes personal and professional development. This PowerPoint slide set can be used to improve the performance of supervisors when they visit health facilities to provide supportive supervision. Download it here.
Country Spotlights
Mongolia to combat cervical cancer with massive HPV vaccination campaign
Starting in late 2024, 11-year-olds will be vaccinated against thecancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) in schools across Mongolia, free ofcharge. This year’s initiative is part of Mongolia’s broader goal to vaccinate90% of the population by 2030, a target that aligns with the United NationsSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more about their efforts to trainhealth workers and implement vaccines here.
A Boat-Based Initiative is Helping Akwa Ibom Reach Zero-Dose Children in Remote Riverine Communities
Nigeria has 4.3 million unvaccinated children, the highest number in the world. Recognising the urgent need to address the lack of access to vaccines in such communities, the Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA) devised an innovative solution to ensure that no child is left behind by launching the Mid-Sea Vaccination programme. Learn about this innovative vaccine delivery strategy here.
Bangladesh takes major step to reduce cervical cancer deaths
Bangladesh is rolling out a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in a phased manner, starting on October 15. Upon the campaign’s completion, HPV vaccine is expected to be added to the country’s routine immunization schedule. Read more about the vaccination campaign here.
External Events
Presentations on cost of reaching zero-dose children from Gavi’s Zero-Dose Learning Week
As part of Gavi’s Zero-Dose Learning Week in September 2024, Gavi hosted a full-day webinar to share emerging evidence on reaching zero-dose children. The event provided valuable insights to inform future immunisation efforts and enhance equity in global health. Recordings and presentations from the event can be viewed online here.