Gavi Ethiopia PEF/TCA 2021

This project built on past technical assistance JSI had been providing to the MoH with the following objectives:

1. Develop clear strategies and guidelines to allow the Ethiopian EPI to address zero-dose and under-immunized children continually through the routine system, including through the development of a national zero-dose strategy and catch-up vaccination guidelines;
2. Strengthen collaboration and develop a strategic outline to build a functional platform for service delivery for children in the second year of life (2YL), building off MCV2 vaccination and other PHC opportunities; and
3. Provide continued support to Afar and Somali related to PIRI/MCV2, focusing on capacity and performance management.

This project ran from February 15, 2023 to January 31, 2024. 

JSI implemented the planned activities at both national and regional levels. The national-level technical support to the MoH included hiring and deploying an immunization expert to the MoH, strengthening the national immunization TWG; facilitating the endorsement, implementation, and rollout of the catch-up guideline and zero dose plan of action; and supporting the development of TOR for integration of 2YL during immunization service. The project has also supported the MoH in the rollout of the catch-up guideline to regions. The regional-level technical assistance involved support for Somali and Afar regions, by hiring regional TAs to be seconded to the respective RHBs. The experts provided TAs to the RHBs in mapping and identifying woredas and villages having high numbers of zero-dose and under-immunized communities to be supported by the project. Based on identified woredas, this project has supported the RHBs in planning and organizing actual catch-up sessions of immunizations in woredas affected with insecurity and/or having high numbers of zero-dose children.