October 2022 — As per recent data, one of the negative secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Eastern and Southern African countries has been a decrease in utilization of essential health services, mainly those related to immunization and to maternal, neonatal and child health. To address this drop and increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the region, there is a need to help countries identify and understand factors influencing demand and uptake of essential health services and design evidence-informed demand strategies. In this regard, the UNICEF ESARO SBC section has launched a time-series community rapid assessment exercise (CRA) aiming to provide social and behavioral insights to inform COVID-19 vaccination, routine immunization, and MNCH-related policy and program decisions.

This exercise comprises both a quantitative and a qualitative component. The mobile-phone survey, thanks to its ability to reach targeted audiences in a quick, cost-efficient, and representative manner, will be used for the collection of population-based data. It will be conducted in 6 ESA countries, namely Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania, Angola, and Ethiopia. The qualitative component will target specific population groups that remain under-immunized (e.g., health workers, IDPs/refugees, women) so that specific pro-equity and gender-sensitive SBC interventions can be developed based on the triangulation of both data streams. This qualitative research is handled by each participating country office.

The objectives of the CRA exercise include:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: Establish the current and future levels of vaccine uptake related to COVID-19 and understand the differences between regions, urban and rural areas, gender, and age groups.

• Utilization of routine immunization and MNCH services: Measure the level of utilization of immunization and MNCH services in the context of the pandemic and identify environmental and behavioral barriers and drivers.

• Evidence-based Insights: Identify evidence-based insights from the sampled population to inform the improvement of immunization and MNCH services.