- Groundwork
Applying HCD to improve the uptake of routine immunization: a case of South Sudan
Arize Okafor, Mellan Lilumbi, Anusha Nigudkar, Robert G. Nyaga, Ruth Wambua, Kriti Chouhan
- August 13, 2025
- 8:56 am

SECTOR
PROJECT TYPE
Location
BEHAVIORAL THEME
OVERVIEW
Immunization is one of the key pillars of public health as it helps in the prevention of most vaccine-preventable diseases. However, the uptake of immunization in developing countries is low and hindered by several systemic barriers such as fragile political systems, weak health institutions and policies, as well as behavioral barriers, especially concerns around the safety of vaccines and misinformation linking vaccines to health conditions such as autism and infertility. ,, The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that the global immunization coverage has tanked since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that by 2023, over 2.7 additional million children, across the globe, were either unvaccinated or failed to complete the recommended immunization regime.
THEMATIC AREAS
This groundwork presents our experiences working with the UNICEF South Sudan office to increase the uptake of immunization among children in South Sudan, a country whose health ecosystem is undermined by conflict and political instability. UNICEF reports a high prevalence of zero-dose children, who have not initiated on any dose of required immunization, in South Sudan, with immunization coverage feared to be below the required national average.