Evidence for Development
‘Evidence for development: South Asia’ seeks to bring together researchers, scholars, policymakers, civil society, and others from South Asia to discuss and debate ‘what works’, ‘why’, for ‘whom’ and at ‘what cost’ in the development sector. The conference focuses on improving our understanding of how evidence can support policies for transformation in the South Asian region and the need for forging partnerships with governments for evidence-informed decision making. This includes considering how the scientific community responds to the need for knowledge and how to implement evidence-based policies. Discussion on the latest innovations in research, practical concerns, and challenges faced in the field remains central to the theme of the conference.
Use of community engagement to improve child immunization in LMICs ‐ findings from a systematic review
Time: 12:15‐13:45
Immunization is one of the most cost-effective interventions to prevent and control life-threatening infectious diseases. Nonetheless, rates of routine vaccination of children in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs) are strikingly low or stagnant. In 2019, an estimated 19.7 million infants did not receive routine immunizations. Community engagement interventions are increasingly being emphasised in international and national policy frameworks as a means to improve immunization coverage and reach marginalized communities. We will present the key findings from an upcoming systematic review that examines the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community engagement interventions on outcomes related to childhood immunizations in L&MICs and identifies contextual, design and implementation features that may be associated with effectiveness.
Presenter: Avantika Bagai, Senior Research Associate, 3ie