MCSP - PMP Dowa monthly Report for June, 2016

The project aims to track immunization status of children in Ntchisi and Dowa district, and monitor immunization trends of infants at the community level. The project has made significant progress in training village heads and volunteers in the use of the REC approach, infant registration, MVMH, mapping, and immunization challenges and schedule. In Ntchisi district, 120 village heads and 139 volunteers were trained in the REC approach, while in Dowa district, 418 village heads and volunteers were trained. The teams were trained on the REC approach, use of infant registration, MVMH, mapping, and immunization challenges and schedule. The project has also made progress in updating the MVMH tool, with 1526 infants registered in Dowa district, and 582 volunteers updating the MVMH tool monthly. The project has also made progress in orienting village heads in tracking infants' immunization, with 1526 village heads oriented in tracking infants' immunization in Dowa district. However, the project has faced some challenges, including some villages have a preference for which volunteer to be trained, resulting in more than one volunteer being trained in some instances. The project has also faced challenges in conducting immunization sessions in some areas, with some villages having a low immunization coverage. The project has implemented some solutions to these challenges, including discussing with village heads and HSAs to agree on who should be trained, and training village heads and volunteers on the REC approach, use of infant registration, MVMH, mapping, and immunization challenges and schedule. The project has also made progress in conducting immunization sessions in some areas, with some villages having a high immunization coverage. The project has also identified some success stories, including the use of HSAs from the catchment area, which made the participants feel at home and were very free. The project has also identified some lessons and best practices, including the use of HSAs from the catchment area, and the training of village heads and volunteers on the REC approach, use of infant registration, MVMH, mapping, and immunization challenges and schedule. The project has also made progress in conducting village head and volunteer trainings on infant registration and use of MVMH tool in the two remaining districts. The project has also made progress in procuring field supplies, and liaising with the health teams to ensure the health teams are supportive for the training. The project has also made progress in updating the PMP, with the following indicators being tracked: * I-22: Number of targeted communities registering new-borns and tracking immunization status quarterly * I-23: Number of volunteers updating the MVMH tool monthly * I-24: Number of village heads oriented in tracking infants' immunization * I-25: Number of villages completing the registration and updating quarterly The project has also made progress in achieving the following targets: * 37% of villages have maps and clear demarcations * 38% of VHs/volunteers conducted the registration of infants * 38% of VHs/volunteers are updating the MVMH tool monthly * 26% of VHs/volunteers attending the monthly meetings with HSAs * 37% of VHs/volunteers are updating the registration and mobilizing the children for OR/fixed sessions * 6 villages visited during mini survey have a coverage of >95% (source: mini survey) The project has also made progress in achieving the following targets in Dowa district: * 1526 infants registered * 582 volunteers updating the MVMH tool monthly * 1526 village heads oriented in tracking infants' immunization * 368 villages completed the registration and updating quarterly The project has also made progress in achieving the following targets in Ntchisi district: * 26 infants registered * 10 villages completed the registration and updating quarterly The project has also made progress in achieving the following targets in other areas: *