New Approaches to Reach Zero-Dose Children in Nepal

Reaching the millions of zero-dose children who have yet to receive a single vaccine represents one of the final—and most complex—barriers to overcome in the push for global immunization equity. Gavi’s Zero-Dose Learning Hub, led by JSI, is working to close the vaccination gap by identifying and reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children through high-quality data collection.

One powerful way to improve outreach to zero-dose children is by studying the roll out of new vaccinations (often referred to as campaigns) to understand the facilitators and barriers to reaching all children, including those who live in rural and fragile communities. In Nepal, a recent rollout of the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV), was an opportunity for the JSI team to study lessons from the large, national catch-up campaign.

Based on a series of key informant interviews with stakeholders at different levels of the health system, this case study describes how Nepal used vaccine introduction to identify children who were missing other routine vaccines, and provides lessons on how immunization campaigns can be tailored to reach zero-dose children.

Key findings:

• Political commitment and active involvement of country partners facilitate vaccine campaign success.
• Effective partnerships between government, nongovernment, and community-based organizations improve vaccine delivery.
• Use of vaccine cards increases community awareness and vaccine uptake.
• Electronic application-based systems and technology streamline data management and boost vaccination efficiency.

This case study can inform tailored interventions against preventable diseases. Providers in other countries and contexts can use lessons from the TCV rollout to improve immunization of zero-dose and under-immunized children.

Read the full TCV case study to learn more.

About the Zero-Dose Learning Hub

The Zero-Dose Learning Hub, established by Gavi, works toward immunization equity by identifying and reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children through high-quality data collection. The ZDLH consortium is led by JSI, in collaboration with The Geneva Learning Foundation, the Indian Institute of Health Management Research, and four Country Learning Hubs in Bangladesh, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda. Learn more.