2. OUTLINE
1. National immunization policies
2. Global policies and health development goals
3. Norms and standards
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3. 1. National immunization policies
• To ensure that immunization programmes are in line with national
health policies:
• – formulated around the principle of primary health care
• – the immunization policy should be developed as a component of
the national child health policy.
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5. 3. General norms and guiding principles for
programme implementation
The immunisation programme is guided by the following norms:
1. Community participation and social mobilization
2. Integrated approach
3. Accessibility and equity
4. Quality of services and safety considerations
5. Coordination and leadership
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6. Community participation and social mobilization
a) Community is the main stakeholder and partner in any immunization
programme be it routine EPI or SIAs. Therefore, all possible avenues to involve
community members and community-based structures in programme
activities should be explored.
b) National immunization strategies should support all initiatives geared towards
awareness creation, demand generation, attitude change and community
participation.
The immunization programme should seek close cooperation with community
leaders, village chiefs, religious leaders, parliamentarians, teachers and women’s
groups as well as health committees and community health workers.
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7. Integrated approach
a) Immunization services should be provided as an integral part of
national primary health care package including prevention and
control of childhood diseases, breastfeeding, growth monitoring,
information, education and communication, nutritional advice,
antenatal, postnatal care and family planning.
b) As one of the most cost-effective health interventions,
immunization should be a priority component of district health
packages.
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8. Accessibility and equity
a) To achieve high immunization coverage among communities, the
programme should aim to be accessible to every child and woman
of child-bearing age.
Studies and experience from many countries have shown that only
coverage as high as 80% and above can decrease the disease burden
in a country; even higher rates, such as 90–95%, are needed to
eradicate a disease.
a) To ensure equity and social justice, the immunization should be
provided to all target populations irrespective of ethnicity, gender
or political and religious affiliation.
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9. Quality of services and safety considerations
a) One of the important goals of any health service is to improve the
quality of health-care provision, including immunizations. The
programme should achieve this through regular training of field
staff and their technical supervision, provision of necessary
equipment and injection materials and monitoring and evaluation.
b) The programme should put under close surveillance the safety
aspects of immunizations that involve human factors, such as the
health worker, vaccine handling and procedures for vaccinations.
Once again, training and regular supportive supervision should be
carried out to ensure safe immunization practices.
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10. Coordination and leadership
a) The coordination of the programme and all participating agencies
and other partners, e.g. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
should rest with the MOH through regular meetings and
committees.
b) A Permanent Secretary in the MOH chairs the inter-agency
coordinating committee (ICC) as a forum for key stakeholders tasked
to promote advocacy and resource mobilization for immunization
programmes.
c) A national EPI Sub committee is in place to act as an advisory body.
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