Our group of case studies focusing on collaborative planning of integrated campaigns surfaced over 60 promising practices. We’ve distilled them into 10 actions campaign planners and implementers can consider building into plans. The actions, informed by eight organizations supporting government health programs across South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South America, can be adapted across contexts, situations and countries.
Facilitate participatory decision-making by forming a coordinating body to oversee campaign integration and collaborate with regional/local coordinating bodies. Example: Coordinating bodies were formed for a campaign that addressed an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 and improved vitamin A supplementation delivery.
Maximize campaign effectiveness by ensuring integrated campaign planning that responds to the health situation of the community and assesses readiness for campaign integration. Example: An integrated measles and meningitis A vaccination campaign in northern Nigeria responds to the health situation of the community.
Maximize the integrated campaign’s potential for success by embracing the learnings of previously successful platforms and approaches and build acceptance of the integrated campaign by pairing the campaign with another familiar and popular campaign. Example: A study for integrating MDA campaigns for lymphatic filariasis (LF) and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH), also adapts strategies from India’s long-running Pulse Polio programme.
Enable timely and context-specific campaign decisions by decentralizing decision-making, as appropriate, to enable flexibility to meet unusual conditions. Example:A study examining the feasibility of an integrated vaccination campaign for meningitis A and measles during the COVID-19 pandemic and other epidemics of deadly diseases in Guinea.
Secure broad participation, commitment and buy-in early in the campaign planning process by engaging stakeholders at all levels (national, regional/district, local/community). Example:The Universidad de los Andes co-designed a series of integrated strategies with regional government and indigenous community authorities living in a remote region of Colombia.
Identify populations that could be missed by traditional campaigns by using nuanced strategies to find them, such as comparing family registers with school attendance records and scheduling catch-up campaigns. Example:Health volunteers identified gaps in lymphatic filariasis (LF) MDA coverage while conducting vitamin A distribution during home visits.
Meet the information and knowledge needs of the integrated campaign by harmonizing tools, templates and guidance from standalone campaigns early in the campaign timeline Example: See how tools can be harmonized during collaborative planning of malaria interventions in Nigeria.
Facilitate supply chain and logistics management, coordination meetings, trainings, and real-time monitoring of campaigns by using technology and digital tools (e.g., video conferencing, SMS messaging, electronic dashboards, health information management systems, digitized beneficiary lists) Example:Digital tools were used to address an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 and improve vitamin A supplementation delivery during COVID-19.
Increase community acceptance of integrated campaigns by using timely, transparent, and tailored communication and enlisting the support of community leaders/influencers (e.g., demonstrate taking medications).Example: See more in this pilot study of collaborative planning for integration of mass drug administration (MDA) and vitamin supplementation campaigns.
Set campaign workers up for success by providing appropriate training, supportive supervision, incentives and recognition, and promoting the transparency and accountability needed for timely remuneration. Example: An integrated training module for frontline health workers and supervisors in India.