Quarterly Report FY2013 Q2 (January – March 2013)

The project's objectives included successfully introducing rotavirus vaccine, improving the capacity of the Ministry of Health and Population (MOH/EPI) to develop skills and improve performance in new vaccine introduction and routine immunization, and strengthening the platform for new vaccine introduction. The project's immunization component focused on introducing rotavirus vaccine, monitoring and follow-up of PCV and Rota vaccines, and assisting with the GAVI Alliance application submission process for the measles second dose. MCHIP provided technical support to finalize the EPI field manual, which was completed on January 10-11, 2013. The manual will provide guidance to Malawi program partners working on immunization. MCHIP also assisted in finalizing the EPI comprehensive multi-year plan (cMYP) and the 2013 annual Plan of Action. The cMYP and Plan of Action will enable MCHIP to reprioritize activities in line with the national plan and input from additional partners and the MOH. The project conducted Immunization in Practice (IIP) training, funding the IIP Trainers of Trainers (TOT) session from February 24 to March 1, 2013. A total of 88 TOTs were trained, with three participants from each district and 35 females. The project's HBB component focused on evaluating the quality, coverage, and impact of the HBB newborn resuscitation intervention at the facility level in Malawi over time. MCHIP established HBB training methodology in 13 Malawi pre-service institutions implementing ENC. The project's VMMC component supported CHAM to conduct 2500 MCs by March 2013 through training providers and orienting support staff at Thyolo District Hospital, Malamulo Mission Hospital, and Thomas Health Center. The project's challenges included the postponement of finalizing the EPI policy document and supportive supervision visits to the next quarter. MCHIP attended the WHO-funded north zone annual review meeting on immunization, providing the opportunity to understand key challenges Malawi's immunization portfolio faces. The region is experiencing problems with kerosene-operated refrigerators, resulting in the cancellation of more than 10% of planned sessions, which affected immunization coverage. The project's successes included the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in October 2012, the completion of the EPI field manual, and the training of 88 IIP TOTs. The project's achievements are cumulative for the year, with a target of introducing two new vaccines, introducing rotavirus vaccine, and conducting supportive supervision visits. The project's planned activities for the next quarter include conducting MLM training, zonal and district-level training, and revising EPI management tools. The project's update of the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) summarizes progress toward key indicators. The indicators include the number of new vaccines introduced, percentage of children less than 12 months of age who received PCV3, and percentage of children less than 12 months of age who received first dose of Rotavirus vaccine. The project's achievements are cumulative for the year, with a target of introducing two new vaccines, introducing rotavirus vaccine, and conducting supportive supervision visits.