Sydani Group is working with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) through its Neglected Tropical Diseases Technical Working Group (NTD TWG) to promote broad-scale sensitization in a number of hard-to-reach and under-served communities to increase acceptance for the COVID-19 vaccine. This is done in an effort to stop the spread and effects of COVID-19 and to drive efforts for the successful roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Selected underserved communities in two Nigerian States (Ebonyi and Yobe) have been reached with this intervention by leveraging the TWG’s community drug distributors (CDD) structure for promoting regular NTD-related community mobilization and drug distribution. Sydani provided technical support that was concentrated on integrated messaging and referrals for COVID-19 and NTD Mass Administration of Medicines.
The Sydani team continues to support the NTD partners’ expertise in relation to four strategic goals:
- NPHCDA/NTD National TWG should be strengthened to support COVAX TWG.
- Create and institutionalize connections between the COVAX TWG and the NPHCDA/NTD National TWG on a national level.
- Cascade created connections at the sub-national level to improve COVAX implementation there.
- Analyze the effects and draw conclusions from NTDs’ support for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations.
