Journal article
Successive introduction of four new vaccines in Rwanda: High coverage and rapid scale up of Rwanda´s expanded immunization program from 2009 to 2013
As the pace of vaccine uptake accelerates globally, there is a need to document low-income country experiences with vaccine introductions. Over the course of five years, the government of Rwanda rolled out vaccines against pneumococcus, human papillomavirus, rotavirus, and measles & rubella, achieving over 90% coverage for each. To carry out these rollouts, Rwanda\'s Ministry of Health engaged in careful review of disease burden information and extensive, cross-sectoral planning at least one year before introducing each vaccine. Rwanda\'s local leaders, development partners, civil society organizations and widespread community health worker network were mobilized to support communication efforts. Community health workers were also used to confirm target population size. Support from Gavi, UNICEF and WHO was used in combination with government funds to promote country ownership and collaboration. Vaccination was also combined with additional community-based health interventions. Other countries considering rapid consecutive or simultaneous rollouts of new vaccines may consider lessons from Rwanda\'s experience while tailoring the strategies used to local context.
Authors
Languages
- English
Publication year
2016
Journal
Vaccine
Volume
29
Type
Journal article
Categories
- Service delivery
Diseases
- HPV
Countries
- Rwanda
Organisations
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Tags
- Coverage monitoring
- New vaccine introduction
- Performance monitoring
- Ultra-cold chain (UCC)
WHO Regions
- African Region
