Amel Eltaher was one of 775 Alumni of the Geneva Learning Foundation’s immunization programme who joined the first Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) Impact Accelerator on 8 November 2021.

The Accelerator is a new digital health system in which peers support each other to turn action plans into specific actions, results, and – ultimately – documented impact.

At the Teach to Reach: Connect 4 event on 10 December, Amel Eltaher shared the specifics of what she did in her local context – and what she discovered as she worked with peers from all over the world.

“My name is Amel Eltaher and I'm from Sudan. My last experience was in Pakistan where I worked for over six years with WHO as EPI/PAI Technical Officer.

During [the first IA2030 Impact Accelerator], we were targeting the frontline workers who were going house to house during polio campaigns. So one of my activities was that I had to review with my colleagues in Koita district the criteria for the selection of healthcare workers. They had set up some of the criteria to select like; they had to be a female, the lady had to be a local, knowing the area and non government.

So, as I looked into those criteria, I found out that some of these criteria cannot work in certain areas like the hard to reach areas. So here a female could go with her husband or brother because the area is hard. She may also need to sit on a motorcycle and so on, so they can go from house to house without having any difficulties.

The other thing also in certain areas, I found out having one female cannot work because some of those females whom I met feel insecure going house to house especially in those areas, where they have some concerns like religious refusal and people having some misconceptions about vaccines.

So also during that exercise, I found out that having to go house to house made them feel more skilled, so they can easily go and vaccinate every child.

For me, I consider this [Impact Accelerator] to be one of the best exercises I have ever done and I also am always honored and thankful to the Geneva Learning Foundation for giving us such opportunities.

And one of the good things I say is that if we could continue having such discussions with colleagues, and listening to the expertise so we can keep improving ourselves and also keep immunization going.”

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