Evaluation of the effectiveness of the partnership for reviving routine immunization in northern Nigeria programme in Jiga w a state, Nigeria

Abstract

The weak routine immunization activities in Nigeria have led to an upsurge of vaccine preventable diseases such as poliomyelitis in the northern parts of the country. This made the federal government to intensify efforts to improve routine immunization activities with various intervention programmes over the years. This commitment of the federal government towards improving routine immunization as a way to promote infant and child survival led to the partnership between the UK. Department for International Development (DFID) to support the launching of Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunization in Northern Nigeria (PRRINN) programme in 2006. The programme, implemented in the northern states of Jigawa, Katsina, Y obe, and Zamfara was intended to augment other federal government immunization intervention efforts in improving routine immunizations services. After five years of programme implementation, assessment of the effectiveness of PRRINN had not be undertaken using a survey based immunization coverage to establish how well the primary objectives of the programme are being met in terms of improving routine immunization. This study was designed to evaluate the performance of the PRRINN programme in improving routine immunization coverage in Jigawa State using coverage data from the National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) of2010. A quasi-experimental 'before and after' study design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of PPRINN in Jigawa State in respect to its primary objective of improving immunization coverage in the State. The study used secondary data sets from the National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) of 2006 and 2010, and routine immunization data collected at selected primary health facilities in the State. Key Informants' Interviews (KII) were also conducted to complement the information gathered from the surveys and record reviews. The current status of immunization coverage for Jigawa State was determined and compared with the immunization coverage of the State in 2006. The immunization access and continuity was determined using the drop-out rates of DPT antigen. Status of the routine immunization in the health facilities was determined. The data extracted from the NICS of 2006 and 2010 were analyzed using the customized coverage survey and analysis software (COSAS) and EpiInfo analysis software. COSAS was employed for analyzing the data on infant immunization and a statistical analysis programme was developed in FOXPRO to analyze the TT immunization in women. The standard report by COSAS provided an automatic standard analysis that generated the main indicators for infant immunization: coverage summary tables for crude and valid coverage by doses of each antigen (BCG, OPV, DPT and Measles) and also for full immunization. Results were disaggregated into 'card only' and 'card plus history'.