Significance of Collaborative Efforts between Ngos/Csos and Government in Maximizing Reach for Vaccination of ‘Zero-Dose ‘Children: Lessons of Core Group Partners Project, India

Context:Before the pandemic, number of zero-dose children in India was around 1.3 million. In 2021, figure alarmingly reached 2.7 million. The government of India, with state governments and immunization partners, initiated series of activities to mitigate the challenges posed by this vast immunity gap.The CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP), a USAID-supported NGO consortium, supports the Ministry of Health (MoH) in 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh to strengthen immunization for polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.MoH identified high-priority sub-centers based on the RI coverage data and VPD outbreaks. CGPP used two decades of experience to address vaccine hesitancy and community engagement to rebuild community confidence. CGPP deployed 300 Mobilisation Mitras (MMs- friends of Mobilisers) in 300 high-priority sub-centers. These MMs had a long experience as community mobilizers for polio immunization. MMs work closely with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and do their handholding in Inter-Personal-Communication and child tracking. Through rigorous training and on-the-job support, 11,730 Zero-dose children were identified in a short period from January to March 2023. CGPP, through MMs, conducted community engagement activities like the formation of Community Action Groups (CAGs) of the local influencers, IPC with hesitant families, and infotainment vans for awareness generation, ensured COVID Appropriate Behaviour at vaccination session sites.Method: The government’s immunization guidelines, available campaign data, and CGPP MIS data were reviewed.Results and learning In CGPP areas through ASHAs, 11,730 Zero-Dose Children were identified, and 10,831 (92.33%) children were vaccinated. Conclusion and discussionStrong political will and ownership by the government, partnership with NGOs/CSOs, and dependable immunization system mitigated the negative impact of the pandemic on immunization. Community confidence-building measures and focus efforts helped in vaccinating more than 10,000 children.The key learning is a resilient immunization system and collaborative efforts among government and NGOs to reach Zero-dose Children.