1. Integrating Neglected Tropical Disease and Immunization Programs: The Experiences of the Tanzanian Ministry of Health
- Author
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Alex Mphuru, Kathryn Crowley, Maria Chikawe, Neema Rusibamayila, Andreas Nshala, Bernard Kilembe, Dafrossa Lyimo, Upendo Mwingira, and Arianna Rubin Means
- Subjects
Program evaluation ,Economic growth ,Measles Vaccine ,030231 tropical medicine ,Social Welfare ,Albendazole ,Tanzania ,Rubella ,Measles ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental protection ,Virology ,medicine ,Global health ,Humans ,Rubella Vaccine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Vitamin A ,Mass drug administration ,Perspective Pieces ,Ivermectin ,Antiparasitic Agents ,biology ,Delivery of Health Care, Integrated ,Immunization Programs ,business.industry ,Neglected Diseases ,Tropical disease ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Infectious Diseases ,Parasitology ,business ,Program Evaluation - Abstract
Global health practitioners are increasingly advocating for the integration of community-based health-care platforms as a strategy for increasing the coverage of programs, encouraging program efficiency, and promoting universal health-care goals. To leverage the strengths of compatible programs and avoid geographic and temporal duplications in efforts, the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare coordinated immunization and neglected tropical disease programs for the first time in 2014. Specifically, a measles and rubella supplementary vaccine campaign, mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin and albendazole, and Vitamin A were provisionally integrated into a shared community-based delivery platform. Over 21 million people were targeted by the integrated campaign, with the immunization program and MDA program reaching 97% and 93% of targeted individuals, respectively. The purpose of this short report is to share the Tanzanian experience of launching and managing this integrated campaign with key stakeholders.
- Published
- 2016