Country of focus: Ethiopia – Strategies to Reach

Country of Focus: Ethiopia

Transformative investment: Strategies to Reach

Invest in tailored strategies that identify under vaccinated and unvaccinated persons and regularly provide them with the vaccines they need.

STRATEGIES:

1. Identify and examine reasons for unvaccinated and under vaccinated

2. Investigate and address cultural, societal and behavioral barriers or confidence gaps in immunization

3. Explore health worker–client interactions, perceptions and practices

4. Improve the friendliness, convenience, efficiency and quality of services at health facilities

5. Use VPD surveillance and campaign monitoring opportunities to identify unvaccinated and under vaccinated children

6. Find “invisible children” left out of any system

Priority strategies:

1. Identify and examine reasons for unvaccinated and under vaccinated

2. Improve the friendliness, convenience, efficiency and quality of services at health facilities

3. Use VPD surveillance and campaign monitoring opportunities to identify unvaccinated and under vaccinated children

Summary of why strategies to reach transformative investment is selected for Ethiopia

Measurable gains have been made in the EPI programme since its launch in 1980 and the Government is successful in protecting a large proportion annual birth cohort against 11 vaccine-preventable diseases. However, there are large variations in coverage between Regions, Zones and Woredas and among the various data sources. In 2016, with a population of 96 Million population, annual birth cohort is around 3.1 million, Ethiopia is the 5th country in the world that contributes to the largest number of unvaccinated children with DTP3 estimated to be around 719,900 infants per year (WHO/UNICEF estimates July 2017). In 2017 this number has increased to 853,470 and putting Ethiopia the 1st country in Eastern and Sothern Africa that contributes the highest number of unvaccinated children. Reducing unimmunized children through Improving equity and coverage and immunization service delivery including quality is one of National immunization priority are