February 2024

Every month, we deliver the latest Boost Community news directly to your inbox to keep you informed about various initiatives, programs, and opportunities.

You don't want to miss any of the amazing things that your fellow Boost Community members have accomplished this year!

Dr. Adaora Odis, a dedicated advocate for immunization based in Lagos, Nigeria, draws on her personal experiences and a deep-seated commitment to ensure universal access to vaccines. Inspired by her mother's diligence in vaccinating her family, Dr. Odis navigated challenges as a mother herself, fostering a profound dedication to safeguarding children's health. Her scholarly pursuits, including a Ph.D. thesis exploring vaccination dynamics, coupled with groundbreaking research on malaria vaccine uptake, have earned her recognition and accolades. Read more about how Dr. Odis has leveraged her multifaceted skills in problem-solving, planning, and resource management.

From Thursday, February 15 to March 14 at 9 AM EST // 2 PM GMT, Boost is co-hosting with the Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR) team a bi-weekly Bright Spots Series on learnings along three foundational pillars of the intervention critical to the success of the innovation and subsequent Primary Health Care (PHC) service uptake, namely: Health Financing, Capacity Building, and Demand Generation. 

The series kicked off on February 15, with a session on "Collaborating with Country Governments for Immunization and PHC Optimization: The MoU Financing Model.” Speakers introduced the innovative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) financing model designed to address sustainable funding needs for resource-limited settings in achieving critical health goals. Learn more and access session resources.

During the upcoming session on February 29, “Building Capacity of Primary Health Care Managers at State and Sub-state Levels: Approach and Lessons,” speakers will share different capacity-building approaches targeted at effective Primary Health Care management and crucial quality health care delivery amongst health workers. We will also hear from an esteemed panel of speakers, including Boost member Sohini Sanyal, Learning and Capacity Building Manager, JSI India, on capacity building in India. We look forward to you joining us next week! 

Finally, on March 14, speakers will discuss the demand generation journey for routine immunization and primary health care services in, “Utilizing Community Resources for Driving Immunization and Primary Health Care Service Demand.” We will also explore different approaches aimed at improving service uptake in the most resistant communities, including the experience of Boost member Lillyan Mutua, Head of Health Promotion/Registered Nurse, in driving demand in Kenya. 

Evans Jutta Kofi Attivor, serving as the Municipal Director of Health Service for Nkwanta South municipality in Ghana's Oti region, is leading a project to address missed routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the current COVID-19 Recovery for Routine Immunization Programs Fellowship by the Boost Community and the World Health Organization, Evans received training and support for his project.

Utilizing Google Maps to track missed vaccinations, Evans and his team are implementing the project across 12 Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facilities in four sub-municipalities. They employ defaulter tracing to identify and reach missed children, achieving success rates of up to 81.4% in some areas. Challenges such as transportation and competing activities are being addressed, with monthly mentorship sessions aiding Evans in overcoming obstacles. Midway through the project, significant progress has been made, with Evans crediting the fellowship for its positive impact on his team's motivation and learning. The team remains committed to continued efforts in tracing missed children and improving vaccination coverage through home visits and monthly reviews.