Category Archive for "Immunization"
Assessment of GAVI Alliance HSS support to Tajikistan
In August 2014, Curatio International Foundation conducted an assessment of GAVI Alliance HSS support to Tajikstan to provide solid evidence of to what extent the support achieved its objectives and contributed to strengthen the health system of the country.
The assessment aimed to identify successes, key challenges and lessons learned that may help GAVI Alliance to improve the design and implementation of future HSS support to Tajikistan and other countries. The assessment covered the period of GAVI’s HSS grant to Tajikistan from 2008-2014.
The full report of the assessment is now available on GAVI’s website. Please visit the page for more information.
You can also download the full report here.
Final Evaluation of Gavi’s Support to Albania
After the conclusion of Gavi’s support period (2014) to the Albania, Curatio International Foundation conducted the evaluation study and assessed financial and programmatic sustainability through an in-depth analysis of Albania’s experiences and immunization programme performance before, during and after the conclusion of Gavi’s support period to the country.
The evaluation also identified factors contributing to the sustainability of these programs and their achievements. The evaluation considered the types and quality of support received and the way in which Gavi’s support to Albania was considered.
Main Findings:
- The coordination mechanism between partners established at the time of Gavi support continues to operate, although the frequency of the meetings has decreased
- All Gavi supported activities have been continued : The Hep B and pentavalent vaccines and Auto-Disable (AD) syringes are fully financed by the Government, and are safeguarded in the MoH budget
- Stable and high immunization coverage rates (> 95%) for all antigens included in the national immunization schedule have been sustained as of today at the national and district levels
- Achievements in safe injection have been sustained in Albania
- After Gavi support ended, Albania has continued to introduce new vaccines
- The budget planning mechanism used for vaccine procurement during the Gavi support period has been maintained and institutionalized
- The use of the UNICEF procurement mechanism for purchasing all vaccines in the immunization schedule has been sustained.
The full report of the evaluation is now available on the GAVI’s website, please visit the page for more information.
Washington DC hosts workshop Immunization Costing: what have we learned, can we do better?
On May 17-18 EPIC Immunization Costing hosts workshop Immunization Costing: what have we learned, can we do better? in Washington DC. CIF executive director George Gotsadze and Business Develop
ment unit director Ketevan Goguadze are invited to attend the event.
George Gotsadze will be one of the panelist in the panel discussion: Sustainable institutional linkage and improving immunization program implementation, taking place on May 18 in frame of the workshop.
About the event: EPIC supports a community of practice comprised of researchers and practitioners concerned with measuring immunization program cost and financial flow – and utilizing such information to improve program operations and mobilize resources.
A 300 members’ community from more than 50 organizations are involved in immunization programs across the globe, exchanging information and enabling new approaches, collect and use cost information to improve vaccine delivery.
The workshop is sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and organized by Harvard School of Public Health.
EPIC Studies – Governments Finance, On Average, More Than 50 Percent Of Immunization Expenses, 2010–11
Journal Health Affairs publishes a new Article EPIC Studies: Governments Finance, On Average, More Than 50 Percent Of Immunization Expenses, 2010–11 coauthored by CIF team member Keti Goguadze.
Abstract: Governments in resource-poor settings have traditionally relied on external donor support for immunization. Under the Global Vaccine Action Plan, adopted in 2014, countries have committed to mobilizing additional domestic resources for immunization. Data gaps make it difficult to map how well countries have done in spending government resources on immunization to demonstrate greater ownership of programs. This article presents findings of an innovative approach for financial mapping of routine immunization applied in Benin, Ghana, Honduras, Moldova, Uganda, and Zambia. This approach uses modified System of Health Accounts coding to evaluate data collected from national and subnational levels and from donor agencies. We found that government sources accounted for 27–95 percent of routine immunization financing in 2011, with countries that have higher gross national product per capita better able to finance requirements. Most financing is channeled through government agencies and used at the primary care level. Sustainable immunization programs will depend upon whether governments have the fiscal space to allocate additional resources. Ongoing robust analysis of routine immunization should be instituted within the context of total health expenditure tracking.
The online version of the Article is available here.
Response to the “Final evaluation of GAVI support to Bosnia and Herzegovina”
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance published response to the “Final evaluation of Gavi support to Bosnia and Herzegovina” conducted by Curatio International Foundation.
Gavi assess the final evaluation and the given recommendations as an important document for the transition country program development.
Sarajevo (Bosnia): A city walk; Photo Thomas Alboth
“We view these evaluations as particularly important to help inform how we can better help countries transition away from Gavi support in the future and to provide lessons learned and recommendations that could inform Gavi’s Graduation Policy going forward.” – Read the full document.
The evaluation assessed both financial and programmatic sustainability through an in-depth analysis of BiH’s experiences and immunization program performance before, during and after the conclusion of Gavi’s period of support for the country. The evaluation also identified factors contributing to the sustainability of these programs and their achievements and gives five key recommendations to Gavi.
To read the final evaluation report, please follow the link.
The drivers of facility-based immunization performance and costs. An application to Moldova
The drivers of facility-based immunization performance and costs. An application to Moldova. This is the article an International peer reviewed Journal Vaccine published, Co-authored by experts from the Curatio International Foundation.
The study was a part of a multi-country coting and financing study of routine immunization program, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Few costing studies of primary health care services in developing countries evaluate the drivers of immunization program performance and cost. This exercise attempted to fill this knowledge gap and helped to identify organizational and managerial factors at a primary care, district and national level that affect the cost and performance of the routine immunization program in Moldova
Visit ResearchGate to read and download the article.
Costs of routine immunization services in Moldova: Findings of a facility-based costing study
An International peer reviewed Journal Vaccine, published an article Costs of routine immunization services in Moldova: Findings of a facility-based costing study. Authored by experts from the Curatio International Foundation.
The study evaluates the total economic and unit costs of the immunization program in the Republic of Moldova as part of a multi-country study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The study shows that the cost of fully immunizing a child in a middle-income country is much higher than previous estimates. The study findings could contribute to building a new evidence-base that will provide valuable inputs into the development of national and global policies, as well as contribute to better planning and management of the national immunization program in Moldova.
Visit ResearchGate to read and download the article.
Analyses of Costs and Financing of the Routine Immunization Program and New Vaccine Introduction in the Republic of Moldova
In 2012-2014 Curatio International Foundation implemented the costing study that aimed to evaluate routine immunization program costs and financing as well as incremental costs and financing of a new vaccine introduction in the Republic of Moldova.
The study was a part of a larger effort to evaluate costs and financing of routine immunization in six countries (Moldova, Benin, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Honduras) supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The study generated new information that will help a) improve the planning of resource requirements and financing needs at the country level; b) improve the understanding of the total immunization program costs and unit costs, as well as delivery costs of Routine Immunization services and delivery costs associated with the introduction of a new vaccine and c) contribute to updating GAVI Alliance policies on new vaccine introduction support.
The findings of our study provide critical information for discussing issues related to the affordability of new vaccine introduction in Moldova, and the financial sustainability of the national immunization program after it graduates from GAVI support.
Please follow the links to read the final presentation, project report and policy brief.
Final Evaluation of GAVI Alliance’s Support to Bosnia and Herzogovina
In 2014 Curatio International Foundation conducted a final evaluation of GAVI’s support to Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH), commissioned by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) Alliance Secretariat.
The evaluation assessed both financial and programmatic sustainability through an in-depth analysis of BiH’s experiences and immunization program performance before, during and after the conclusion of GAVI’s period of support for the country. The evaluation also identified factors contributing to the sustainability of these programs and their achievements.
GAVI’s support to BiH was evaluated along three-evaluation focus areas: planning (pre-GAVI support), implementation (support received during GAVI period) and outcomes (post-GAVI support). Additionally, evidence related to each of the focus areas was assessed against five OECD/DAC evaluation criteria: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact/results, and sustainability, with greatest emphasis on sustainability.
The recommendations derived after the evaluation are planned to help further define M&E and potential programmatic activities to be conducted in graduating countries in the future.
To read the final evaluation report, please follow the link.
CIF Study Published in BMC Magazine, The Role of Supportive Supervision on Immunization Program Outcome- a randomized filed trial from Georgia
The research article by CIF and international experts has been published in BMC International Health and Human Rights 2009. Article is a part of the supplement: The fallacy of coverage: uncovering disparities to improve immunization rates through evidence.The Canadian International Immunization Initiative Phase 2 (CIII2) Operational Research Grants.
In the republic of Georgia, a country where widespread health care reforms have taken place over the last decade, an intervention was recently implemented to strengthen performance of immunization programs. A range of measures were taken to ensure that immunization managers carry out their activities effectively through direct, personal contact on a regular basis to guide, support and assist designated health care facility staff to become more competent in their immunization work. The study addresses the issues of human resources and its management in improving immunization coverage rates and aims to document the effects of “supportive” supervision on the performance of the immunization program at the district level in Georgia.
Follow the link to learn more about methods and results of the survey.