Cost of the typhoid conjugate vaccine introduction through an integrated campaign and follow-on routine immunization in Malawi.

Malawi introduced typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in 2023 through an integrated campaign delivering TCV alongside other vaccines and interventions (measles rubella vaccine (MRV), bivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV), and vitamin A Supplementation). The campaign sought to reach all children 9 months to younger than 14 years, representing more than 9 million individuals, and about half the country's population. Following the campaign, TCV was incorporated into the routine immunization program for 9-month-old infants.

Using community-based, participatory qualitative research to identify determinants of routine vaccination drop-out for children under 2 in Lilongwe and Mzimba North Districts, Malawi.

Objective: In recent years, full childhood routine immunisation coverage has fallen by 5% to levels not seen since 2008; between 2019 and 2021, 67 million children were undervaccinated. We aimed to identify and describe the determinants of vaccination drop-out from the perspectives of caregivers and health workers in Malawi.

Design: We used a community-based participatory research approach to collect data through photo elicitation, short message service exchanges, in-depth interviews and observations.

Update on Wild Poliovirus Type 1 Outbreak - Southeastern Africa, 2021-2022.

Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) began in 1988, the number of wild poliovirus (WPV) cases has declined by >99.99%. Five of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions have been certified free of indigenous WPV, and WPV serotypes 2 and 3 have been declared eradicated globally (1).

Cost of introducing and delivering RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine within the malaria vaccine implementation program.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children residing in regions of moderate to high malaria transmission. This recommendation is informed by RTS,S evidence, including findings from the pilot rollout of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. This study estimates the incremental costs of introducing and delivering the malaria vaccine within routine immunization programs in the context of malaria vaccine pilot introduction, to help inform decision-making.

'Vaccinate my village' strategy in Malawi: an effort to boost COVID-19 vaccination.

Objectives: To boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake, an innovative 'vaccinate my village' (VMV) strategy using door-to-door vaccination by Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) was adopted. In this study, we assessed the impact of the 'vaccinate my village' strategy on COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional review of the data on COVID-19 vaccination obtained from the Ministry of Health, Malawi, from 11 March 2021 to September 2022.

Association between childhood immunisation coverage and proximity to health facilities in rural settings: a cross-sectional analysis of Service Provision Assessment 2013-2014 facility data and Demographic and Health Survey 2015-2016 individual data in Malawi.

Objectives: Despite significant progress in childhood vaccination coverage globally, substantial inequality remains. Remote rural populations are recognised as a priority group for immunisation service equity. We aimed to link facility and individual data to examine the relationship between distance to services and immunisation coverage empirically, specifically using a rural population.

COVID-19 vaccine express strategy in Malawi: An effort to reach the un-reach.

Objectives: To establish the impact of "Covid-19 Vaccination express" (CVE) on vaccine uptake in Malawi.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study to compare the daily vaccine administration rate in CVE and routine covid vaccination (RCV). RCV data was collected from March 2021 to October 2021.

Projecting the cost of introducing typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in the national immunization program in Malawi using a standardized costing framework.

Background: There is a substantial typhoid burden in sub-Saharan Africa, and TCV has been introduced in two African countries to date. Decision-makers in Malawi decided to introduce TCV and applied for financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in 2020. The current plan is to introduce TCV as part of the national immunization program in late 2022.

Feasibility of implementing the World Health Organization case management guideline for possible serious bacterial infection among young infants in Ntcheu district, Malawi.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of mortality, yet the recommended inpatient treatment options are inaccessible to most families in low-income settings. In 2015, the World Health Organization released a guideline for outpatient treatment of young infants (0-59 days of age) with possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI) with simplified antibiotic regimens when referral was not feasible. If implemented widely, this guideline could prevent many deaths.

Home visits by community health workers for pregnant mothers and newborns: coverage plateau in Malawi.

Background: Home visits by community health workers (CHWs) during pregnancy and soon after delivery are recommended to improve newborn survival. However, as the roles of CHWs expand, there are concerns regarding the capacity of community health systems to deliver high effective coverage of home visits. The WHO's Rapid Access Expansion (RAcE) program supported the Malawi Ministry of Health to align their Community-Based Maternal and Newborn Care (CBMNC) package with the latest WHO guidelines and to implement and evaluate the feasibility and coverage of home visits in Ntcheu district.