From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator, funded by GSK, has awarded two innovation projects for finding unique solutions to help more children receive vaccinations.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson, Save the Children International (SCI), Ermias Teshome.
According to the statement, with an estimated 2.1 million children in Nigeria and almost one million in Ethiopia, classed as ‘zero dose’, having never received a routine vaccination, the Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator was launched in April 2024, to empower local organisations and fast-track cutting-edge solutions. A call for submissions then invited Ethiopian and Nigerian innovators to submit proposals.
The statement said, selected from 120 submissions by a panel, including global health experts, the chosen immunisation partners are: The Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP) and HABTech Solutions PLC. Both organisations will receive technical and financial support from Save the Children, including a grant of almost $100,000 each to further their work.
Nigeria based NGO CIHP has developed a social and behaviour change model, using a ‘positive deviance’ approach which involves caregivers within communities, who have successfully overcome barriers to vaccinate their children, sharing their lived experience.
