New Technical Paper on Participatory Immunization Research Aims to Empower Communities

Originally appeared on VillageReach
By Ronald Ngeno

VillageReach and the Sabin Vaccine Institute have released a new technical paper to help organizations plan and prepare for participatory research and design within global immunization health initiatives. The paper highlights the value of participatory approaches and offers insights into the key principles and practical considerations necessary to engage communities effectively and inclusively.

The paper emphasizes the importance of community engagement, inclusiveness and applying local knowledge. It outlines guidance from UNICEF’s Journey to Immunization and the World Health Organization’s Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccination for a structured approach to participatory research design, data collection, analysis and solution development. The guide demonstrates how these approaches can generate actionable insights and foster collaborative problem-solving with communities by incorporating methodologies like Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR).

Drawing from the experiences of VillageReach and the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the paper includes case studies that illustrate how participatory methods have been applied and the impact they have achieved. These examples inspire researchers and implementers to adopt similar approaches in their work.

Objectives of the Paper

After engaging with this paper, we hope readers will be better equipped to: 

  • Understand the core principles of participatory research and design. 
  • Use and adapt immunization frameworks for data collection and analysis. 
  • Build and support a research team. 
  • Engage stakeholders and secure institutional support. 
  • Explore options for participant recruitment and verification of vaccination status. 
  • Select and implement participatory data-collection methods. 
  • Apply participatory data analysis processes. 
  • Facilitate participatory design workshops with communities. 
  • Involve communities in disseminating findings. 
  • Identify key budget inputs and resource requirements for participatory approaches. 

A Resource to Inform and Inspire

While this paper is not a comprehensive, standalone guide for implementing participatory methods, it equips readers with foundational knowledge and practical considerations to initiate and plan participatory research and design. It provides examples of methodologies in practice and points readers to additional tools and resources for more detailed guidance, such as designing HCD sessions or conducting CBPR.

This paper offers a pathway to enhance collaboration, inclusivity and the integration of local perspectives in global health initiatives for anyone looking to strengthen their capacity to involve communities in addressing immunization challenges.

Resource

Read the paper

Explore how participatory research and design methodologies can transform your immunization efforts.