Community Engagement in Liberia: Routine Immunization Post-Ebola

Abstract

A national integrated polio, measles, and deworming campaign was implemented across Liberia May 8–14, 2015. The community engagement and social mobilization component of the campaign was based on structures that had been invested in during the Ebola response. This article provides an overview of the community engagement and social mobilization activities that were conducted and reports the key findings of a rapid qualitative assessment conducted immediately after the campaign that focused on community perceptions of routine immunization in the post-Ebola context. Focus group discussions and interviews were conducted across four counties in Liberia (Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, and Margibi). Thematic analysis identified the barriers preventing and drivers leading to the utilization of routine immunization. Community members also made recommendations and forwarded community-based solutions to encourage engagement with future health interventions, including uptake in vaccination campaigns. These should be incorporated in the development and implementation of future interventions and programs.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the County Health Teams, County Mobilization Coordinators, and District Mobilization Coordinators who were involved in this work. Particular gratitude is extended to the families and communities who participated in this study and readily shared their time and experiences.

Notes

¹ http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-situation/ebola-situation-report-2-december-2015; http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6350a4.htm

² The Reaching Every District initiative has been successfully implemented in Liberia. This strategy involves prioritizing low-performing districts by strengthening five important immunization functions at the district level: planning and management of resources, capacity building through training and supportive supervision, sustainable outreach, links between communities and health facilities, and active monitoring and use of data for decision making. Based on the data gathered in this study, however, it was not clear what impact Reaching Every District may have had on community perceptions of immunization, particularly in relation to outreach activities and mobile immunization teams.