Evaluation of the Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance indicators in Zambia from 2015-2021: a retrospective analysis.

Background: The resurgence of poliovirus infection in previously polio free regions and countries calls for renewed commitment to the global polio eradication efforts including strengthening of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance systems. Zambia is one of the countries substantially at risk for the importation of poliovirus infection from neighbouring countries including Malawi, Mozambique, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This study describes a seven-year AFP surveillance, assesses the surveillance indicators, and highlights areas for improvement.

Challenges Addressing Inequalities in Measles Vaccine Coverage in Zambia through a Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Measles-rubella supplementary immunization activities (MR-SIAs) are conducted to address inequalities in coverage and fill population immunity gaps when routine immunization services fail to reach all children with two doses of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV). We used data from a post-campaign coverage survey in Zambia to measure the proportion of measles zero-dose and under-immunized children who were reached by the 2020 MR-SIA and identified reasons associated with persistent inequalities following the MR-SIA.

Methods: Children between 9 and 59 months were enrolled in a nationally representative, cross-sectional, multistage stratified cluster survey in October 2021 to estimate vaccination coverage during the November 2020 MR-SIA.

The Effect of Real Time Integrated Supportive Supervision Visits on the Performance of Health Workers in Zambia.

The use of online Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) is aimed to improve the quality of services provided by front line health workers. This work is aimed to document the effects of ISS on the performance of health workers in Zambia using selected key surveillance and immunization process indicators. ISS data on WHO ODK server of all Integrated Supportive Supervisory (ISS) visits that were conducted in Zambia between 1 January 2018 to 30 September 2018 were analysed to determine the Percentage point difference between the first and the most recent ISS visits in order to determine whether an observed gap during first ISS visit had persisted during the most recent ISS visit.