Strengthening Routine Immunization Services in an Angolan Comuna: The Fight against the Burden of Unvaccinated Children in the Sustainable Development Goals Era

Mattia Fattorini, Calistus Wilunda, Gloria Raguzzoni, Cecilia Quercioli, Gabriele Messina, Maria Pia Fantini and Giovanni Putoto
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Mattia Fattorini: Post Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Calistus Wilunda: African Population and Health Research Center, Manga Close, Off Kirawa Road, P.O. Box 10787-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Gloria Raguzzoni: Post Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 12, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Cecilia Quercioli: Post Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Gabriele Messina: Post Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Maria Pia Fantini: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 12, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Giovanni Putoto: Operational Research Unit, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Via S. Francesco 126, 35121 Padua, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: In May 2018, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Doctors with Africa CUAMM began to implement an intervention to strengthen Chiulo Hospital’s public health section to deliver immunization services in Mucope Comuna , Ombadja District. We aimed to evaluate the effect of this intervention. During the intervention period, actions such as staff training, improvement in the monitoring of vaccine stockpile, and the involvement of Community Health Workers were performed. The effects of the intervention on the number of vaccine doses administered were examined using negative binomial regression. Doses administered were 14,221 during the intervention period and 11,276 in the pre-intervention one. The number of administered doses was 26% higher (95% CI 9%–45%) in the intervention period than in the pre-intervention period. This was driven by vaccine doses administered during outreach sessions, where a statistically significant increase of 62% (95% CI 28%–107%) was observed. Regarding individual vaccines, statistically significant increases in the number of doses were observed for OPV2 (76%), OPV3 (100%), Penta3 (53%), PCV3 (53%), and Rota2 (43%). The NGO interventions led to improved delivery of immunization services in the study area. Greater increases were observed for vaccine doses that are more likely to be missed by children.

Keywords: vaccination; vaccine preventable diseases; routine immunization services; project evaluation; Angola (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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