1. Red Cross Activities to Strengthen
Routine Immunization through 5-POINT PLAN
A pilot in Two Sub Counties in Kenya: Bobasi and Starehe
Kenya Pediatric Association Meeting
Sarova Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa
12th April 2019

2. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Amina Ismail, MSc.
Health Delegate, Measles and Rubella Initiative, American Red Cross

3. Problems and Opportunities
EPI strategies used to date have successfully led to ~85% global coverage. However, coverage has stagnated.
Relying on the same strategies is unlikely to reach the 15% of missed children.
Lessons learned from smallpox & polio show that closing the final ‘gaps’ needs innovation and new approaches.
One possible innovation:
Opportunity to use CSOs’ pool of resources & provide them with a major role in supporting the strengthening of routine immunization.
The 5 Point Plan brings together national & local CSOs and health partners (MoH, UNICEF, WHO, etc.) to identify and solve local problems.
Builds on previous RC work to support routine immunization.
Seeks a sustainable outcome.

4. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Demand
Supply
Pilot’s Objective:
Not to improve RI in only a few geographical areas
Assess if this is a feasible method to improve RI in the long-term & assess potential to go to scale

5. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Step 1.
Find missed children, create spot map, identify clusters in relation to health centers
Step 2.
Collate information on why children are missed
Step 3.
RC relays collated information to MoH and partners, who act to rectify problems
Step 4.
Social mobilization to caregivers on vaccination
Step 5.
Evaluation

6. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Step 1.
Find missed children, create spot map, identify clusters in relation to health centers
Urban Africa: Mobile Phone GPS, Residence of Children Missing MCV1, 2017
Red dot: child missing MCV1; Blue dot: child not missing MCV1
Building-level data crowdsourced by volunteers, available through OpenStreetMap (OSM)
Overlay with clinic locations to identify clusters of missed children

7. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Step 2.
Collate information on why children are missed
2 perspectives
Caretaker
Health Facility

8. MoH, WHO, UNICEF & Partners take ACTION
Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Step 3.
RC relays collated information to MoH and partners, who act to rectify problems
ICC Meeting
MoH, WHO, UNICEF & Partners take
ACTION

9. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Step 4.
Social mobilization to caregivers on vaccination

10. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Step 5.
Evaluation: Volunteers find missed children
Short-term impact
Previously identified missed children vaccinated?
3 months
Long-term impact
Next birth cohort vaccinated?
Sustainability
12 months

11. Piloting a Red Cross 5-Point Plan to Strengthen Routine Immunization
Goal: Assess if the methodology is feasible & not to improve RI in a few areas; assess ability to go to scale
Builds on but differs from previous initiatives
All 5 steps must be completed
In sequential order
Creating demand without supply is detrimental
Identified problems must be rectified promptly
Evaluation after one-year to assess for longer term impact
Utilizes input from volunteers and senior RC staff who are trusted community members
Utilizes input from MOH EPI Program- National and County & Partners
Relies on ensuring open and non judgmental dialogue
Pilot:
(1) Sub-region of Nairobi, Kenya &
(2) TBD Big 6 country