Dear colleagues,
Have you ever asked yourself why there are not more community health workers administering vaccines in LMICs?
I’m sure we all are familiar with the chronic health worker shortages and stagnating routine immunization rates globally, and can agree that new strategies are needed to increase vaccination coverage and equity.
Leveraging community health workers (CHWs) as vaccinators is a promising approach that may help countries maximize their health workforce, increase vaccination coverage, reach more zero-dose children, and offer relief to other strained cadres of health workers, such as nurses. However, there currently is not much research or documentation about how CHWs can/should administer immunization.
With Gavi and BMGF funding, VillageReach is exploring this topic because it shows potential to make huge strides in areas that are important to us:
- Increasing routine immunization coverage while making immunization services more people-centered, accessible, and equitable
- Addressing human resources for health challenges
- Ensuring that CHWs are provided with the training, support, and supplies that they need to do their job
If you are interested in learning more about CHWs providing vaccines, we hope you will join us for our upcoming webinar on April 27th at 3:00pm CEST. CHWs as Vaccinators: a review of the global landscape and lessons from Malawi
This webinar, graciously being co-hosted by TechNet-21, will explore what we currently know globally about leveraging CHWs as vaccinators, then focus on Malawi’s unique case, which is an a place where CHW cadres currently do provide routine immunization. The webinar will feature speakers from VillageReach and Chifuniro Chiyendausiku, a community health worker in Malawi, who will share her first-hand experience providing vaccinations at the community level.
Click here to register for the webinar: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bUe0qNQLQWmfjaJK_nxxVw
Our research publications and technical briefs related to CHWs administering vaccines are available to TechNet colleagues here, under this Hot Topic link: https://www.technet-21.org/en/hot-topics-items/430-service-delivery/15424-leveraging-community-health-workers-chws-to-administer-vaccines I've also attached a couple of them to this message.
I’d also love to hear what you think about this topic! Let’s start a conversation- Here are some discussion questions to spark some conversation:
- Do you live in one of the 20 countries globally where CHWs play a role in administering (not just promoting) vaccines? Is it working well?
- What are some of the potential risks and benefits of leveraging CHWs to administer vaccines?
- What are some of the current bottlenecks?
- What would be needed to make this approach more widespread or successful?
Thanks for reading until the end :) and for your engagement on this fascinating topic!
Warm regards,
Rebecca Alban, Senior Manager, Health Systems
VillageReach
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