The Critical Role and Evaluation of Community Mobilizers in Polio Eradication in Remote Settings in Africa and Asia

Lewis, Judy; LeBan, Karen; Solomon, Roma; Bisrat, Filimona; Usman, Samuel; Arale, Ahmed

doi:10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00024

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Examples of these strategies have been identified across several studies, including the positive reception of good social mobilization systems in Afghanistan and the increase in public trust and knowledge through multiple polio campaigns in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Angola [23,25]. The findings of these studies reflect the lessons learned in newer studies, including the significance and effectiveness of good social mobilization strategies for engaging communities in polio vaccination campaigns in India, Pakistan, and across various remote settings in Africa and Asia [35][36][37][38]. These strategies will open avenues to highlight the efficacy and relevance of the vaccine to communities and provide answers to questions that bother them.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

What are the barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination and eradication programs? A systematic review

Ezezika

Mengistu

Farheen

et al. 2022

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Global efforts to eradicate polio by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative agency partners and country-level stakeholders have led to the implementation of global polio vaccination programs. This study presents the findings of existing studies regarding the barriers and facilitators that countries face when implementing polio interventions. A comprehensive search was conducted in OVID Medline, OVID Embase, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies underwent quality assessment. A qualitative evidence synthesis approach was conducted and aligned to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The search identified 4147 citations, and following the removal of duplicates and screening according to our inclusion/exclusion criteria, 20 articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. Twelve countries were represented in this review, with India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan having the most representation of available studies. We identified 36 barriers and 16 facilitators. Seven themes emerged from these barriers and facilitators: fear, community trust, infrastructure, beliefs about the intervention, influential opinions, intervention design, and geo-politics. The most frequently cited CFIR constructs for the facilitators and barriers were knowledge and beliefs about the intervention, followed by available resources. This study identified a wide range of barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination implementation across the globe, adding to the scarce body of literature on these barriers and facilitators from an implementation perspective and using a determinant framework. The diversity of factors among different groups of people or countries highlights the relevance of contexts. Implementers should be conversant with the contexts within which polio eradication programs boost intervention coverage and capacity. This study provides policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with a tool for planning and designing polio immunization programs. Trial registration: A protocol for this systematic review was developed and uploaded onto the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews database (Registration number: CRD42020222115).

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

What are the barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination and eradication programs? A systematic review

Ezezika

Mengistu

Farheen

et al. 2022

PLOS Glob Public Health

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“…Ensuring the continuation of routine immunization requires involvement from all sectors at all levels. 42 Collaboration among government, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector is pivotal in developing strategies and tools to advocate with policy makers, educate health care workers, and inform health champions and the public that immunization is essential and should be continued despite the ongoing pandemic. Strong and continuous advocacy must be conducted to maintain the prioritization of immunization as an essential health service.…”

Section: Mobilize the Community To Increase Advocacy And Awarenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12,40,41 Community mobilization has had a significant role in the success of polio campaigns in the past during Indonesia's national immunization days and in other settings. 42 This strategy can be adopted to identify the missing children during the pandemic by involving every sector related to immunization programs. Women play an essential role in social mobilization, especially at the household and community levels.…”

Section: Mobilize the Community To Increase Advocacy And Awarenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Community-based surveillance has been identified as a significant effort to enhance local efforts in surveillance. 42 In Indonesia, the pandemic has formed solidarity among community members who have cared for each other during this difficult time. Community groups have developed many initiatives to strengthen their resilience during the pandemic.…”

Section: Use Community-based Surveillance Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Maintaining Polio-Free Status in Indonesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Azizatunnisa

Cintyamena

Bura

et al. 2022

Glob Health Sci Pract

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Indonesia's polio-free status as well as the 2023 global polio eradication target have been threatened by disruptions to immunization services caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and related restrictions. n Fear of contracting COVID-19, human resource diversion, and travel restrictions posed barriers to delivering polio immunization services during the pandemic. n To resume polio vaccination efforts and maintain polio-free status, Indonesia health authorities need to take action to: 8 Maximize vaccine service reach by mapping children who have not been vaccinated and monitor the vaccine supply chain 8 Integrate vaccine delivery with pandemic response efforts 8 Mobilize communities for advocacy and education

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“…It has also been demonstrated during the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia that CHWs were effective in emergency management through the early identification of cases as well as in pandemic preparedness through proper communication in a culturally appropriate way, community education and mobilization, contribution to surveillance systems, and filling health service gaps (46). Likewise, CHWs enabled Nigeria to quickly treat and isolate cases, thereby helped eradicate the polio from the country (47).…”

Section: Roles Of Chws In Emergenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Health Workers Can Provide Psychosocial Support to the People During COVID-19 and Beyond in Low- and Middle- Income Countries

Mistry

Harris‐Roxas

Yadav

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most challenging public health issue which not only affected the physical health of the global population but also aggravated the mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, fear, depression and anger. While mental health services are seriously hampered amid this COVID-19 pandemic, health services, particularly those of Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMICs) are looking for alternatives to provide psychosocial support to the people amid this COVID-19 and beyond. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are an integral part of the health systems in many LMICs and played significant roles such as health education, contact tracing, isolation and mobilization during past emergencies and amid COVID-19 in many LMICs. However, despite their potentials in providing psychosocial support to the people amid this COVID-19 pandemic, they have been underutilized in most health systems in LMICs. The CHWs can be effectively engaged to provide psychosocial support at the community level. Engaging them can also be cost-saving as they are already in place and may cost less compared to other health professionals. However, they need training and supervision and their safety and security needs to be protected during this COVID-19. While many LMICs have mental health policies but their enactment is limited due to the fragility of health systems and limited health care resources. CHWs can contribute in this regard and help to address the psychosocial vulnerabilities of affected population in LMICs during COVID-19 and beyond.

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The Critical Role and Evaluation of Community Mobilizers in Polio Eradication in Remote Settings in Africa and Asia

Abstract: Data use, community engagement, local adaptation, linkage with the health system, and a strong community platform are critical for successful community programming. n Community-based disease surveillance using local volunteers enhanced national and district efforts.

Cited by 8 publications

References 18 publications

What are the barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination and eradication programs? A systematic review

What are the barriers and facilitators to polio vaccination and eradication programs? A systematic review

Maintaining Polio-Free Status in Indonesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Community Health Workers Can Provide Psychosocial Support to the People During COVID-19 and Beyond in Low- and Middle- Income Countries

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