Positioning implementation science in national immunization programmes to improve coverage equity and advance progress toward Immunization Agenda 2030: An urgent global health imperative.

Despite the availability of effective vaccines for preventing common childhood infectious diseases, there is still significant disparities in access and utilization across many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The factors that drive these disparities are often multilevel, originating from individuals, health facilities, health systems and communities, and also multifaceted. Implementation science has emerged as a field to help address "know-do" gaps in health systems, and can play a significant role in strengthening immunization systems to understand and solve implementation barriers that limit access and uptake within their contexts. This article presents a reflexive perspective on how to position implementation research in immunization programmes to improve coverage equity. Furthermore, key points of synergy between implementation research and vaccination are highlighted, and some potential practice changes that can be applied within specific contexts were proposed. Using a human rights lens, it was concluded that the cost that is associated with implementation failure in immunization programmes is significant and unjust, and future directions for implementation research to optimize its application in practice settings have been recommended.

Sustainable financing for vaccination towards advancing universal health coverage in the WHO African region: The strategic role of national health insurance.

There is a growing political interest in health reforms in Africa, and many countries are choosing national health insurance as their main financing mechanism for universal health coverage. Although vaccination is an essential health service that can influence progress toward universal health coverage, it is not often prioritized by these national health insurance systems. This paper highlights the potential gains of integrating vaccination into the package of health services that is provided through national health insurance and recommends practical policy actions that can enable countries to harness these benefits at population level.

Scoping review of African health histories: a protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The history of African health is closely entwined with the history of the continent itself-from precolonial times to the present day. A study of African health histories is critical to understanding the complex interplay between social, economic, environmental and political factors that have shaped health outcomes on the continent. Furthermore, it can shed light on the successes and failures of past health interventions, inform current healthcare policies and practices, and guide future efforts to address the persistent health challenges faced by African populations. This scoping review aims to identify existing literature on African health histories. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Arksey and O'Malley's framework for conducting scoping reviews will be utilised for the proposed review, which will be reported in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The main review question is 'What literature exists on the history of health practices and healthcare delivery systems in Africa from the precolonial era through to the sustainable development goal era?' Keywords such as Africa, health and histories will be used to develop a search strategy to interrogate selected databases and grey literature repositories such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and WHOLIS. Two authors will independently screen titles and abstracts of retrieved records. One author will extract data from articles that meet the inclusion criteria using a purposively designed data charting. The data would be coded and analysed thematically, and the findings presented narratively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The scoping review is part of a larger project which has approval from the WHO AFRO Ethics Research Committee (Protocol ID: AFR/ERC/2022/11.3). The protocol and subsequent review will be submitted to the integrated African Health Observatory and published in a peer-reviewed journal. REGISTRATION DETAILS: https://osf.io/xsaez/.

Toward political economy of sustainable financing for immunization in the World Health Organization African Region through a systems thinking lens.

There is an urgent need for countries in Africa to allocate more domestic financial resources to immunization so that national immunization programmes can attain self-reliance in line with World Health Organization's Immunization Agenda 2030. However, resource allocation is fundamentally a political process because other competing needs exist. Political economy analysis (PEA) can guide policy influencers in their engagement with decision makers to tilt their interest in support of sustainable immunization financing. PEA can provide a deeper understanding of the potential constraints and facilitators of a policy direction to expand the fiscal space for immunization using domestic resources within the context of a country's socioeconomic and political realities. To further advance the usefulness of PEA for decision making, a systems thinking lens should be applied to account for the inherent complexity of the social systems involved in resource allocation and implementation. Several methods and tools of systems thinking already exist and can be employed. Causal loop diagrams, when incorporated in a PEA of sustainable financing for immunization can aid the identification of feedback loops which can be used as leverage points for intervention.

Implementation research approaches to promoting universal health coverage in Africa: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Implementation research has emerged as part of evidence-based decision-making efforts to plug current gaps in the translation of research evidence into health policy and practice. While there has been a growing number of initiatives promoting the uptake of implementation research in Africa, its role and effectiveness remain unclear, particularly in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). Hence, this scoping review aimed to identify and characterise the use of implementation research initiatives for assessing UHC-related interventions or programmes in Africa. METHODS: The review protocol was developed based on the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, as enhanced by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). MEDLINE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched. The search also included a hand search of relevant grey literature and reference lists. Literature sources involving the application of implementation research in the context of UHC in Africa were eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: The database search yielded 2153 records. We identified 12 additional records from hand search of reference lists. After the removal of duplicates, we had 2051 unique records, of which 26 studies were included in the review. Implementation research was used within ten distinct UHC-related contexts, including HIV; maternal and child health; voluntary male medical circumcision; healthcare financing; immunisation; healthcare data quality; malaria diagnosis; primary healthcare quality improvement; surgery and typhoid fever control. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) was the most frequently used framework. Qualitative and mixed-methods study designs were the commonest methods used. Implementation research was mostly used to guide post-implementation evaluation of health programmes and the contextualisation of findings to improve future implementation outcomes. The most commonly reported contextual facilitators were political support, funding, sustained collaboration and effective programme leadership. Reported barriers included inadequate human and other resources; lack of incentives; perception of implementation as additional work burden; and socio-cultural barriers. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrates that implementation research can be used to achieve UHC-related outcomes in Africa. It has identified important facilitators and barriers to the use of implementation research for promoting UHC in the region.

Protocol for a scoping review of implementation research approaches to universal health coverage in Africa.

INTRODUCTION: Implementation research has emerged as part of evidence-based decision-making efforts to plug current gaps in the translation of research evidence into health policy and practice. While there has been a growing number of institutions and initiatives promoting the uptake of implementation research in Africa, their role and effectiveness remain unclear, particularly in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). This review aims to extensively identify and characterise the nature, facilitators and barriers to the use of implementation research for assessing or evaluating UHC-related interventions or programmes in Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will be developed based on the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and enhanced by the Joanna Briggs Institute. It will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A comprehensive search of the following electronic databases will be conducted: Medline (via PubMed), Scopus and the Cochrane Library. Relevant grey literature and reference lists will also be searched. All publications describing the application of implementation research in the context of UHC will be considered for inclusion. Findings will be narratively synthesised and analysed using a predefined conceptual framework. Where applicable, quantitative evidence will be aggregated using summary statistics. There will be consultation of stakeholders, including UHC-oriented health professionals, programme managers, implementation researchers and policy-makers; to provide methodological, conceptual and practical insights. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The data used in this review will be sourced from publicly available literature; hence, this study will not require ethical approval. Findings and recommendations will be disseminated to reach a diverse audience, including UHC advocates, implementation researchers and key health system stakeholders within the African region. Additionally, findings will be disseminated through an open-access publication in a relevant peer-reviewed journal.

Country-Level Assessment of Missed Opportunities for Vaccination in South Africa: Protocol for Multilevel Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is one of the greatest public health interventions of all time. Vaccination coverage in South Africa has shown a steady improvement in reaching the national target. However, while there is progress nationally, there are districts within the country that are below the set target for vaccination coverage. One of the main drivers of suboptimal vaccination coverage is thought to be missed opportunities for vaccination. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the magnitude and determinants of missed opportunities for vaccination in South Africa. METHODS: The 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey will be used to conduct multilevel regression analyses to determine individual and contextual factors associated with missed opportunities for vaccination in South Africa. The perspectives of parents attending health care facilities in South Africa will be explored through exit interviews and focus group discussions. Similarly, perspectives of the health care providers will be sought to understand enablers and barriers to vaccination coverage at the facility level. Insights to such factors will aid in designing tailor-made interventions to improve vaccination coverage in South Africa. RESULTS: Ethical review submission is planned for October 2020. Data collection is expected to be underway in January 2021. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of missed opportunities in South Africa coupled with the associated factors presents an opportunity for efforts to increase uptake in districts where vaccination coverage is below the national target. Population-level data such as those from the 2016 South African Demographic Health Survey will provide an idea of the magnitude of missed opportunities for vaccination in South Africa at the national and subnational levels. The findings of the study will inform national and subnational policy implementation on vaccinations and help to find context-specific interventions to improve vaccination coverage. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/16672.

Factors influencing non-prescription sales of antibiotics among patent and proprietary medicine vendors in Kano, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

Patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs) increase access to antibiotics through non-prescription sales in their drug retail outlets. This fosters irrational antibiotic use among people, thus contributing to the growing burden of resistance. Although training programmes on antibiotic use and resistance exist, they have disproportionately targeted health workers in hospital settings. It's unclear if there is a relationship between such trainings and non-prescription sales of antibiotics among PPMVs which are more embedded in communities. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted to elicit the determinants of non-prescription antibiotic sales among PPMVs in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Through brainstorming, causal loop diagrams (CLDs) were used to illustrate the dynamics of factors that are responsible for non-prescription antibiotic sales. Multilevel logistic regression model was used to determine the relationship between training on antibiotic use and resistance and non-prescription antibiotic sales, after controlling for potential confounders. We found that two-third (66.70%) of the PPMVs reported that they have sold non-prescribed antibiotics. A total of three CLDs were constructed to illustrate the complex dynamics of the factors that are related to non-prescription antibiotic sales. After controlling for all factors, PPMVs who reported that they had never received any training on antibiotic use and resistance were twice as more likely to sell antibiotic without prescription compared with those who reported that they have ever received such training (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.27-3.37). This finding suggests that there is an association between training on antibiotic use and resistance and non-prescription sales of antibiotics. However, the complex dynamics of the factors should not be ignored as it can have implications for the development of intervention programmes. Multifaceted and multicomponent intervention packages (incorporating trainings on antibiotic use and resistance) that account for the inherent complexity within the system are likely to be more effective for this setting.

Assessing readiness to implement routine immunization among patent and proprietary medicine vendors in Kano, Nigeria: a theory-informed cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs) are widespread in communities and can potentially be used to expand access to routine immunization especially in underserved areas. In this study, we aimed to assess their readiness to implement routine immunization in Kano, Nigeria and identify factors associated with it. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of PPMVs aged 18 years and above in Kano metropolis, Nigeria, using cluster sampling technique. A 10-item Likert scale-based measure was used to estimate readiness score. The relationship between selected factors and readiness score was examined using multilevel linear modeling technique. RESULTS: A total of 455 PPMVs with median age of 36 years participated in the study. The median raw score for readiness was 4.7 (IQR: 4.3 - 4-8) (maximum obtainable was 5). The mean readiness score (obtained through factor analysis) was 5.28 (SD: 0.58). Readiness score was associated with factors such as knowledge of immunization and task demand, engagement by other public health programs among others. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the feasibility of measuring the level of readiness for implementing routine immunization among PPMVs. Given the high level of readiness, policy makers should consider the possibility of expanding access to immunization through PPMVs.

A multilevel analysis of the determinants of missed opportunities for vaccination among children attending primary healthcare facilities in Kano, Nigeria: Findings from the pre-implementation phase of a collaborative quality improvement programme.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the factors that are responsible for missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) among children aged 0-23 months attending primary health care (PHC) facilities in Nassarawa, Kano State, Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the pre-implementation phase of a quality improvement programme. One-stage cluster sampling technique was employed. Data were collected from caregivers of children aged 0-23 months in ten randomly selected PHC facilities in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. Semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaires were used. Frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the data. Multilevel logistic regression model with fixed effect and random effect component was fitted to obtain measures of association and variation respectively. RESULTS: Caregivers of 675 children responded. Among these children, the prevalence of MOV (for at least one antigen) was 36.15%. MOV (for individual antigens) was highest for inactivated polio vaccine followed by measles vaccine. The random effect model yielded an intraclass correlation coefficient of 9.60% for the empty model. The fixed effect model revealed that MOV was more likely among children that were accompanying a caregiver to the health facility (OR = 2.86, 95%CrI: 1.28 to 5.80) compared to those that were visiting the health facility for medical consultation. Failure to receive vaccination on the day of health facility visit (OR = 2.32, 95%CrI: 1.12 to 4.12) and visiting a clinic with three or more vaccinators (OR = 12.91, 95%CrI: 4.82 to 27.14) increased the likelihood of MOV. CONCLUSION: The study identified important local factors that are responsible for MOV which can be addressed in the QI programme.

Rural-urban disparities in missed opportunities for vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-country decomposition analyses.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to explore the rural-urban disparities in the magnitude and determinants of missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using nationally representative household surveys conducted between 2007 and 2017 in 35 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. The risk difference in MOV between rural or urban dwellers were calculated. Logistic regression method was used to investigate the urban-rural disparities in multivariable analyses. Then Blinder-Oaxaca method was used to decompose differences in MOV between rural and urban dwellers. RESULTS: The median number of children aged 12 to 23 months was 2113 (Min: 370, Max: 5896). There was wide variation in the the magnitude of MOV among children in rural and urban areas across the 35 countries. The magnitude of MOV in rural areas varied from 18.0% (95% CI 14.7 to 21.4) in the Gambia to 85.2% (81.2 to 88.9) in Gabon. Out of the 35 countries included in this analysis, pro-rural inequality was observed in 16 countries (i.e. MOV is prevalent among children living in rural areas) and pro-urban inequality in five countries (i.e. MOV is prevalent among children living in urban areas). The contributions of the compositional 'explained' and structural 'unexplained' components varied across the countries. However, household wealth index was the most frequently identified factor. CONCLUSIONS: Variation exists in the level of missed opportunities for vaccination between rural and urban areas, with widespread pro-rural inequalities across Africa. Although several factors account for these rural-urban disparities in various countries, household wealth was the most common.

Does it really matter where you live? A multilevel analysis of factors associated with missed opportunities for vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa.

There is an urgent need to examine the magnitude and factors responsible for missed opportunities for vaccination, to rapidly achieve national immunization targets. The objective of the study was to examine the influence of individual, neighbourhood and country level socioeconomic position on missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) in Sub-Saharan Africa. We used multilevel logistic regression analysis on Demographic and Health Survey data collected between 2007 and 2016 in sub-Saharan Africa. We analysed data on 43,637 children aged 12 to 23 months (Level 1) nested within 15,122 neighbourhoods (Level 2) from 35 countries (Level 3). After adjustment for individual-, neighbourhood- and country-level factors, the following appeared as significant risk factors for increased odds of MOV: high birth order, high number of under-five children in the house, poorest household, lack of maternal education, lack of media access, and living in poorer neighbourhood. According to the intra-country and intra-neighbourhood correlation coefficient, 18.4% and 37.4% of the variance in odds of MOV could be attributed to the country and neighbourhood level factors, respectively; and if a child moved to another country or neighbourhood with a higher probability of MOV, the median increase in their odds of MOV would be 2.47 and 2.56 fold respectively. This study has revealed that the risk of missed opportunities for vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by not only individual factors but also by compositional factors such as family's financial capacity, place of birth and upbringing.

Decomposing the gap in missed opportunities for vaccination between poor and non-poor in sub-Saharan Africa: A Multicountry Analyses.

Understanding the gaps in missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) in sub-Saharan Africa would inform interventions for improving immunisation coverage to achieving universal childhood immunisation. We aimed to conduct a multicountry analyses to decompose the gap in MOV between poor and non-poor in SSA. We used cross-sectional data from 35 Demographic and Health Surveys in SSA conducted between 2007 and 2016. Descriptive statistics used to understand the gap in MOV between the urban poor and non-poor, and across the selected covariates. Out of the 35 countries included in this analysis, 19 countries showed pro-poor inequality, 5 showed pro-non-poor inequality and remaining 11 countries showed no statistically significant inequality. Among the countries with statistically significant pro-illiterate inequality, the risk difference ranged from 4.2% in DR Congo to 20.1% in Kenya. Important factors responsible for the inequality varied across countries. In Madagascar, the largest contributors to inequality in MOV were media access, number of under-five children, and maternal education. However, in Liberia media access narrowed inequality in MOV between poor and non-poor households. The findings indicate that in most SSA countries, children belonging to poor households are most likely to have MOV and that socio-economic inequality in is determined not only by health system functions, but also by factors beyond the scope of health authorities and care delivery system. The findings suggest the need for addressing social determinants of health.

Mind the Gap: What explains the education-related inequality in missed opportunities for vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa? Compositional and structural characteristics.

Missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) is an important barrier hindering full immunisation coverage among eligible children. Though factors responsible for MOV are well documented in literature, little attention has been paid to the role of inequalities. The aim of this study is to examine the association between structural or compositional factors and education inequalities in MOV. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique was used to explain the factors contributing to the average gap in missed opportunities for vaccination between uneducated and educated mothers in sub-Saharan Africa using DHS survey data from 35 sub Saharan African countries collected between 2007 and 2016. The sample contained 69,657 children aged 12 to 23 months. We observed a wide variation and inter-country differences in the prevalence of missed opportunity for vaccination across populations and geographical locations. Our results show that the prevalence of MOV in Zimbabwe among uneducated and educated mothers was 9% and 21% respectively while in Gabon corresponding numbers were 85% and 89% respectively. In 15 countries, MOV was significantly prevalent among children born to uneducated mothers (pro-illiterate inequality) while in 5 countries MOV was significantly prevalent among educated mothers (pro-educated inequality). Our results suggest that education-related inequalities in missed opportunities for vaccination are explained by compositional and structural characteristics; and that neighbourhood socio-economic status was the most important contributor to education-related inequalities across countries followed by either the presence of under-five children, media access or household wealth index. The results showed that differential effects such as neighbourhood socio-economic status, presence of under-five children, media access and household wealth index, primarily explained education-related inequality in MOV. Interventions to reduce gaps in education-related inequality in MOV should focus on social determinants of health.