Innovations in communication technologies for measles supplemental immunization activities: lessons from Kenya measles vaccination campaign, November 2012.

Printable Copy

Health Policy Plan. 2015 Jun;30(5):638-44. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czu042. Epub 2014 Jun 11.

Innovations in communication technologies for measles supplemental immunization activities: lessons from Kenya measles vaccination campaign November 2012.

Mbabazi WB¹ Tabu CW² Chemirmir C² Kisia J² Ali N² Corkum MG² Bartley GL².

Author information

¹American Red Cross International Response and Programs PO Box 41275-00100 Nairobi Kenya Division of Vaccines and Immunization Ministry of Health PO Box 30016 Nairobi Kenya Kenya Red Cross PO Box 40712-00100 Nairobi Kenya UNICEF East and Southern African Regional Office United Nations Complex Gigiri PO Box 44145-00100 Nairobi Kenya and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation PO Box 45335-00100 Nairobi Kenya william.mbabazi@redcross.org.
²American Red Cross International Response and Programs PO Box 41275-00100 Nairobi Kenya Division of Vaccines and Immunization Ministry of Health PO Box 30016 Nairobi Kenya Kenya Red Cross PO Box 40712-00100 Nairobi Kenya UNICEF East and Southern African Regional Office United Nations Complex Gigiri PO Box 44145-00100 Nairobi Kenya and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation PO Box 45335-00100 Nairobi Kenya.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

To achieve a measles free world effective communication must be part of all elimination plans. The choice of communication approaches must be evidence based locally appropriate interactive and community owned. In this article we document the innovative approach of using house visits supported by a web-enabled mobile phone application to create a real-time platform for adaptive management of supplemental measles immunization days in Kenya.

METHODS:

One thousand nine hundred and fifty-two Red Cross volunteers were recruited trained and deployed to conduct house-to-house canvassing in 11 urban districts of Kenya. Three days before the campaigns volunteers conducted house visits with a uniform approach and package of messages. All house visits were documented using a web-enabled mobile phone application (episurveyor®) that in real-time relayed information collected to all campaign management levels. During the campaigns volunteers reported daily immunizations to their co-ordinators. Post-campaign house visits were also conducted within 4 days to verify immunization of eligible children assess information sources and detect adverse events following immunization.

RESULTS:

Fifty-six per cent of the 164 643 households visited said that they had heard about the planned 2012 measles vaccination campaign 1-3 days before start dates. Twenty-five per cent of households were likely to miss the measles supplemental dose if they had not been reassured by the house visit. Pre- and post-campaign reasons for refusal showed that targeted communication reduced misconceptions fear of injections and trust in herbal remedies. Daily reporting of immunizations using mobile phones informed changes in service delivery plans for betterimmunization coverage. House visits were more remembered (70%) as sources of information compared with traditional mass awareness channels like megaphones (41%) and radio (37%).

CONCLUSIONS:

In high-density settlements house-to-house visits are easy and more penetrative compared with traditional media approaches. Using mobile phones to document campaign processes and outputs provides real time evidence for service delivery planning to improveimmunization coverage.