OVERVIEW
The MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity (M-RITE) project provides technical assistance in the Kyrgyz Republic for the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Jalal-Abad, Batken, and Chui Oblasts, as well as in the capital city of Bishkek.
GOALS
- Plan and coordinate COVID-19 vaccination communications.
- Design and implement strategies to increase vaccine demand in urban areas.
- Train primary health care workers to communicate effectively about the vaccine.
- Work with community groups to promote vaccine uptake.
- Improve planning to reach priority populations.
- Use vaccination data to identify unvaccinated individuals and develop strategies to reach them.
KEY RESULTS
The project started working in March 2022. As of February 2023, the project has:
Trained 35 members of Kyrgyz Association of Village Health Committees, a local non-government organization that works to promote health care practices, in three target oblasts - Batken, Jalal-Abad, and Chui. The participants learned about ways to mobilize their communities around vaccination and communicate better about vaccines. These “community mobilizers” work with activists in their communities to reach wider audiences. Currently, they have trained 1,750 community activists in their respective target areas. The goal is to reach 4,300 community activists.
Engaged more than 170 doctors in discussion clubs for specialized health care providers: endocrinologists, TB specialists, cardiologists and others. They learned evidence-based information about COVID-19 vaccination and discussed the risks and impacts of COVID-19 on patients with chronic diseases. The discussion clubs aim to train healthcare providers how to communicate effectively with patients about COVID-19.
Initiated and supported training for 16 epidemiologists from the Republican Center for Health Promotion and Mass Communication and the Republican Center for Immunization on research protocols and methods, analysis, and analytical reports as part of strengthening capacity-building interventions.
Reached more than 74,000 people through traditional and social media with messages and information about the impacts and safety of vaccination against COVID-19. The project targeted priority groups: people over 60, pregnant and lactating women, and people with chronic diseases.
Conducted training for the Republican Center for Health Promotion and Mass Communication on fundamental social and behavior change principles for capacity development of the government representatives involved in promoting vaccination against COVID-19 in the Kyrgyz Republic.
____
Project Duration: March 2022 - September 2023
Budget: $3 million
Implementing Partner: JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc
Key Partners: Ministry of Health, Republican Center for Immunization, Republican Center for Health Promotion and Mass Communication, Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy, UNICEF, WHO, Kyrgyz Association of Village Health Committees (KVHC)
Contact information: Gita Pillai, Team Lead of the M-RITE project in the Kyrgyz Republic, Gita_Pillai@jsi.com
