An Integrated Campaign of Mono Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (mOPV2) and Vitamin A Supplementation

Key Messages

An Integrated Campaign of Mono Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (mOPV2) and Vitamin A Supplementation

A campaign that addressed an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 and improved vitamin A supplementation delivery during COVID-19

Summary

A case study on campaign integration to address an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 and improve vitamin A supplementation delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ghana

179 districts in 8 out of 16 regions

Polio, Vitamin A

Mono Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (mOPV2) and Vitamin A Supplementation

Promising Practices

Assess preparedness/readiness for campaign integration at all levels.
Establish coordinating bodies at all levels.
Coordinate messaging for dual interventions with equal emphasis.
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Key Messages

In 2019, Ghana confirmed an outbreak of poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in eleven regions, necessitating an urgent vaccination campaign. This effort was challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also resulted in decreased vitamin A supplementation coverage in the country. There was a need to integrate these two campaigns to address both the polio outbreak and support ongoing nutrition interventions during the pandemic. This study documented the experiences and lessons learned throughout the integration process.

Collaborative planning improves integration by establishing a common purpose across stakeholders, enhancing resource mobilization through aligned efforts of donors and partners, and actively involving partners in vaccine management and accountability.
Political will and commitment of decision makers to mobilize funds enables collaborative pre-planning, planning and implementation of the integrated campaign.
The decision to integrate campaigns must be made early enough to allow for harmonization of information, education and information (IEC) efforts and logistics to give equal weight to each intervention.
The campaign planning process must include contingency plans for unexpected occurrences (e.g., heavy rainfall, security concerns).
Mothers and caregivers should be involved in campaign design and communication efforts.
When using community information centers for IEC, program implementers should pay attention to variations in messaging across localities and languages.
District-specific reports from independent monitoring done by academia should be available for district-level use in a timely way for decision-making.

The combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and an outbreak of polio in Ghana presented a significant challenge to achieving high coverage of health and nutrition interventions.

Key Messages