The level of vaccination coverage in a given community depends on both service factors and the degree to which the public understands and trusts the immunization process. This article describes an approach that aims to raise awareness and boost demand. Developed in India, the ‘‘My Village Is My Home’’ (MVMH) tool, known as Uma Imunizasaun (UI) in Timor-Leste, is a poster-sized material used by volunteers and health workers to record the births and vaccination dates of every infant in a community. Although data challenges limit firm conclusions, the experiences in both countries suggest that ‘‘My Village Is My Home’’ is a promising tool that has the potential to broaden program coverage by marshalling both community residents and health workers to track individual children’s vaccinations. Three states in India have adopted the tool, and Timor-Leste had also planned to scale-up the initiative.
Authors: Manish Jain, Gunjan Taneja, Ruhul Amin, Robert Steinglass, Michael Favine
We strive to build lasting relationships to produce better health outcomes for all.
