MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity

The MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity project is part of a suite of innovative awards funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to holistically improve family planning and maternal and child health in partner countries around the world. The project is USAID’s flagship technical assistance mechanism for immunization and is active in 12 countries and has supported over 18 countries. It applies best practices and explores innovations to increase equitable immunization coverage in USAID-supported countries. The project also supports COVID-19 vaccine rollout across countries with a wide range of circumstances and needs.

In India, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increased caseload, hospitalization, and death surges, significantly affecting countless individuals, families, and communities and putting the public health system under tremendous strain.

In response, the Government of India launched the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination program in January 2021. Initial results were impressive, but challenges to equitable coverage with the COVID-19 vaccine persist, including low coverage among vulnerable, marginalized, and hard-to-reach populations; supply of vaccine exceeding demand; procurement and distribution barriers; vaccine hesitancy; and inequitable human resource coverage.

To accelerate vaccination uptake among vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, the MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity project provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) to improve the availability of vaccine doses and increase trust in and demand for COVID-19 vaccination. Now the project is leveraging its learnings to strengthen Routine Immunization activities.

Learn more.