The Geneva Learning Foundation

COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Global Event

Enhancing vaccine confidence and uptake through risk communication and community engagement among high-risk and vulnerable groups

PRESENTATION

Using Social Media to Reach the Elderly in the Philippines

PRESENTER

Professor Emeritus Lulu C. Bravo, M.D.Member of the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 (Philippines)

Members of the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 joined the UNICEF-led COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Global Event on 22-23 June 2022. The focus was on enhancing vaccine confidence and uptake through risk communication and community engagement among high-risk and vulnerable groups.

Partners: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Collective Service for Risk Communication and Community Engagement, Gavi, the Geneva Learning Foundation, USAID, IFRC, and WHO

Learn more about the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030

https://www.learning.foundation/immunization-agenda-2030

Two Members of the Movement presented during the session on “Service quality interventions that meet people on their terms”. This session was facilitated by Sheetal Sharma, Senior Immunization Advisor, CORE Group.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Elderly are vulnerable and at high risk for serious COVID

Communication and support strategies require adaptation to specific needs of vulnerable groups

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Describe in a few points the context

Our 85-year-old mother and grandmother was reluctant to have a COVID vaccine for fear of adverse events following immunization, insisted that she is not used to being vaccinated, and said that she would just stay home to avoid COVID

Explain briefly how you diagnosed the reasons for low uptake

She was scared because of reports from media and other friends saying that the vaccine can cause harm

THE SOLUTION

Describe briefly how you selected the interventions used

Since her son is known to us we thought of an occasion, Mothers Day to show her that her son wanted her to be safe by being vaccinated and asked the expert panel to talk to her and convince her to get the COVID vaccine

Explain briefly what you did

We featured her in our podcast program for Facebook users to air her concerns and talk to several experts who are vaccinologists, some of which were known to her.

Primary group engaged: specifically indicate if/how you engaged high-risk and vulnerable groups

…Through Social media and Facebook contacts, we encouraged people to join us every Saturday night and let us know their problems and talk to real experts to give their advice. We also feature an intermission dance and some relaxation exercises at times to relieve the stresses they feel.

Describe how you measured outcomes

Not long after our podcast the son told us his mom was happy to be vaccinated and we had her again on the subsequent podcast to tell her story.

Describe briefly the results of the interventions

She got the vaccine and said she felt loved by our group

Were you able to measure impact? How?

Yes in many ways if we get a success story like this, meaning people say they are convinced that the vaccine will be safe and working effectively and willing to tell others about it, we are indeed happy and grateful.

We believe that gradually, the numbers of those vaccine hesitants are decreasing in our country but we have to continue to get the right information to people and discriminate against fake news and disinformation.

Provide tips and learnings on what worked with this approach

The Mom felt that her son really wanted her to be safe and will get the experts to listen and talk to her

What were the enabling factors to ensure success?

Son was expressing his love and concern for his mom and made the special occasion of Mothers Day to express his feelings.

Think about how this approach could be applied in other contexts – what should colleagues know to adapt it?

Understanding the nature and feelings of family and loved ones would be beneficial to make those hesitant to feel better secure and perhaps choosing special occasions and demonstrations of love and affection would really help.

Members of the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 joined the UNICEF-led COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Global Event on 22-23 June 2022. The focus was on enhancing vaccine confidence and uptake through risk communication and community engagement among high-risk and vulnerable groups.

Partners: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Collective Service for Risk Communication and Community Engagement, Gavi, the Geneva Learning Foundation, USAID, IFRC, and WHO

Learn more about the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030

https://www.learning.foundation/immunization-agenda-2030

Two Members of the Movement presented during the session on “Service quality interventions that meet people on their terms”. This session was facilitated by Sheetal Sharma, Senior Immunization Advisor, CORE Group.

Côte d’Ivoire Hackathon to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination: Presentation at the UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Global Event

SITUATION OVERVIEW

* National team planned COVID-19 vaccination campaign for December 2021

* Health workforce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a potentially significant hurdle to role as “trusted adviser” to communities

* Health workforce (HRH) capabilities are obviously key to success, but time is not available for traditional capability development processes.

* Lessons learned need to be shared rapidly, especially how to adapt national guidance to local contexts, but existing mechanisms are primarily vertical (top-down)

PROBLEM STATEMENT

How to rapidly strengthen INHP-EPI and partner staff HRH capabilities based on “what works”, ahead of a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign (10-20 December 2021) to vaccinate 6 million people in Côte d’Ivoire.

A health worker shared this testimonial: “I was so afraid of the vaccine that I refused to get vaccinated even though I was encouraging communities to do so. After three months of observing my colleagues who had already been vaccinated, I took my courage in both hands and vaccinated myself. I now feel comfortable again to continue community outreach.”

THE SOLUTION

IN 7 DAYS: TGLF’s fully-digital Hackathon package was deployed by a country-based team of alumni volunteers with EPI and INPH support to connect more than 500 country and health workers who developed 165 context-specific action plans to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination.

Capability development embedded into activities focused on urgent priorities, rather than requiring stakeholders to set aside priorities in order to learn.

MEASUREMENT

* Outcomes measured by national EPI through actual vaccination uptake during national campaign matched to implementation of Hackathon action plans.

* Hackathon participants self-reported implementation; shared photos of actual implementation of their action plans.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERVENTION

Country and health worker ownership: Led by the TGLF alumni network in Côte d’Ivoire embedded in national EPI team, with participation from all system levels and peers from 20 other countries.

Speed: In 10 days, TGLF developed the hackathon with the Côte d’Ivoire Alumni team. Over nine days, without stopping their daily work, participants developed 165 peer-reviewed context-specific action plans, primarily to overcome COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

Scale: In five days, 501 applicants were recruited.

Diversity: Ivorian participants represented 96 health districts (85% of total) in Côte d’Ivoire: 51% district, 21% facility, 15% national, 11% regional.

Impact: If implemented, action plans estimated to vaccinate 3.5M people with a funding gap requiring an additional 0.26 USD per vaccination. 71% of participants implemented their action plans during the national vaccination campaign. 82% of respondents reported having found a solution to better conduct the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Sustainability: 78% of respondents felt “capable” of using the methodology for their own needs, and 82% want to organize their own hackathon with their colleagues.

KEY TAKE-AWAYS

1. Hackathon participants found local solutions that they were able to integrate and use in the campaign to anticipate, prevent, mitigate, and respond to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

2. Health workers’ own confidence in COVID-19 vaccine and their vaccination status is consistently reported as one of the most important factors in successfully engaging communities.

3. Country-wide digital peer learning networks connecting different system levels foster motivation to share what is learned, accelerate problem-solving, and adapt national guidelines to local contexts.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

Special Session: How to improve program outcomes faster with Responsive Feedback

Planned social change programs such as public health interventions have made significant contributions to enhancing population health. Despite this track record, there has been increasing scrutiny of current approaches.

Confronted with the reality of unequal outcomes and societal changes that minimize the impact of interventions, Responsive Feedback (RF) provides an alternative approach.

This Special Session, led by Dr Rachel F McCloud (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and Dr Mohammed Liman (Development Outcomes Nigeria), will introduce RF for health professionals and invite participants to join the first self-guided online learning module about Responsive Feedback, developed by the Geneva Learning Foundation in partnership with The Curve, a consortium formed by M&C Saatchi World Services, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and Development Outcomes Nigeria, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Learn more about Responsive Feedback

https://www.learning.foundation/responsive-feedback

Learn more about Teach to Reach

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

Learn more about The Curve

https://the-curve.org

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

In this workshop, learn how you can become a Contributor, Reviewer, or Co-Author of new knowledge produced by the IA2030 Movement by collaborating with TGLF’s Insights Unit.

Since March 2022, over 8,000 health professionals have joined the Movement for IA2030. Working together, we have shared ideas and practices and produced situation analyses, case studies, and action plans. 

For example, specific case studies are being developed about reaching Zero Dose, overcoming gender barriers, and how to motivate health staff.

In this workshop, join Ian Jones and Ian Steed from the Geneva Learning Foundation’s Insights Unit to explore:

1. What is the Insights Unit doing with knowledge produced by Members of the IA2030 Movement and why?

2. How is this new knowledge being used in the context of consultative engagement with global IA2030 Working Groups? How is this new knowledge being put to use by countries and by Members of the IA2030 Movement?

3. What are the case studies and learning reports already produced by the Insights Unit? What new case studies are currently in development?

4. How can IA2030 Movement Members review, input, and contribute to the new case studies?

Learn more about the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030

https://www.learning.foundation/immunization-agenda-2030

Teach to Reach: Connect is the world’s largest networking event for health care professionnals, connecting over 45,000 people working at all levels of the health system.

Request your invitation to join Teach to Reach: Connect

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

Are you concerned about the neglected needs of women’s health?

Do you know about Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS)?

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) has been described as one of the most neglected sexual and reproductive health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, with approximately 56 million women and girls infected.

In May and June 2021, over 300 health care professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa participated in the FAST package workshop on Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) led by Bridges to Development in partnership with the Geneva Learning Foundation.

This global, fully-digital community has blossomed into a nascent movement connecting more than 5,000 health care professionals with a shared interest in tackling FGS.

In this Experience Sharing event, you will hear from these practitioners about their successes, lessons learned and challenges.

You are invited to listen, learn, and share with colleagues from endemic countries who are taking steps to prevent, diagnose, and treat FGS. Join us to share experience and listen to remarkable success stories, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges.

Learn more about the Movement to tackle Female Genitale Schistosomiasis (FGS)

https://www.learning.foundation/fgs

Teach to Reach: Connect is the world’s largest networking event for health care professionnals, connecting over 45,000 people working at all levels of the health system.

Request your invitation to join Teach to Reach: Connect

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

What are women and men health professionals in districts and health facilities doing in practice to overcome gender barriers in immunization?

Following the Special Event on March 4, 2022, the Women Who Deliver Vaccines Collective invites men and women to join Teach to Reach: Connect to share experience.

This time, the Collective has collaborated with Gavi's Zero Dose Community and the IA2030 Coverage and Equity Working Group (Strategic Priority 3). Gender and immunization global partners (UNICEF, WHO, Gavi) will be present as “Guides on the Side”.

View the 1st Women Who Deliver Vaccines Special Event (March 4, 2022)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAjyZlgMKPI

Learn more about the Women Who Deliver Vaccines Collective

https://www.learning.foundation/iwd

Teach to Reach: Connect is the world’s largest networking event for health care professionnals, connecting over 45,000 people working at all levels of the health system.

Request your invitation to join Teach to Reach: Connect

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

What strategies are really helping health professionals in the field build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine?

We are pleased to invite you to a Special Event at Teach to Reach: Connect in partnership with UNICEF, ahead of the COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Global Event.

Are you working to improve demand for COVID-19 vaccine?

Join us at Teach to Reach: Connect to hear first hand from health professionals who will share their experience of ‘what works’ to strengthen demand and uptake of COVID-19 vaccine.

GET THE NEW INSIGHTS REPORT

Overcoming barriers to vaccine acceptance in the community: Key learning from the experiences of 734 frontline health workers.

On 17th June at Teach to Reach Connect: 6, The Geneva Learning Foundation’s Insights Unit launched its new report:  Overcoming barriers to vaccine acceptance in the community: Key learning from the experiences of 734 frontline health workers.

The report analyses 734 case studies developed by frontline health workers in November 2020 as part of the COVID-19 Peer Hub, a peer learning exercise led by The Geneva Learning Foundation.

Subscribe to our Insights to receive this Report

https://www.learning.foundation/insights

Teach to Reach: Connect is the world’s largest networking event for health care professionnals, connecting over 45,000 people working at all levels of the health system.

Request your invitation to join Teach to Reach: Connect

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

Are you committed to ensuring every child and every family – men, women, boys, and girls – are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases?

On March 7, 2022, more than 6,000 health professionals joined the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030).Members have forged strong bonds through intense collaboration, reflection, and action.

Join us in celebrating the first tangible results achieved by Movement Leaders.

Learn more about the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030

https://www.learning.foundation/immunization-agenda-2030

Teach to Reach: Connect is the world’s largest networking event for health care professionnals, connecting over 45,000 people working at all levels of the health system.

Request your invitation to join Teach to Reach: Connect

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.

Poor connectivity? Listen to this session in our podcast

https://www.learning.foundation/podcast

The inauguration took place during Teach to Reach: Connect, the world’s largest networking event for health professionals, and was attended by Members of the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 together with national and international immunization partners.

Your personal invitation to the 1st International Photography Exhibition for Immunization Agenda 2030

Click here to view the Exhibition on Instagram. Follow and share to view new photos as they are added.

https://www.instagram.com/thegenevalearningfoundation/

1,000 photos have been submitted by Members of the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030 ‘laser focused’ on reaching the millions of ‘zero dose’ children left behind. New photos are being shared every day.

What does it take to reach the nearly 14 million ‘zero-dose’ children still at risk from vaccine-preventable diseases?

Discover how health workers on the frontlines make #VaccinesWork to protect families – men, women, girls, and boys – from disease and death.

Vaccines are one of the most successful and cost-effective health investments in history with wider benefits that accrue across a lifetime.

Learn more about the Movement for Immunization Agenda 2030

https://www.learning.foundation/immunization-agenda-2030

Teach to Reach: Connect is the world’s largest networking event for health care professionnals, connecting over 45,000 people working at all levels of the health system.

Request your invitation to join Teach to Reach: Connect

https://www.learning.foundation/teachtoreach

This is the recording of a live session held on 17 June 2022 at Teach to Reach: Connect 6.