Advocacy for Immunisation Website

"Advocacy is defined as: A strategic effort to achieve change by creating political commitment and an 'enabling' environment. In immunisation, this means, for example, ensuring decision makers have the information and evidence to make good decisions about existing and new vaccines..."

This is an online space for people working to improve immunisation systems and access to vaccines, particularly in resource-poor settings. It aims to help such personnel find ideas, resources, and guidance to advocate for strengthened commitment to vaccines and immunisation to save lives.

This website has been designed to provide self-guided tools, resources, and information about advocacy and communications, immunisation, and vaccines. It can be used by those new to advocacy, as well as more experienced advocates.

Each module - divided into the steps of THINK, PLAN, CREATE, ACT, and ASSESS - includes a toolbox with downloadable worksheets, documents, and resources related to advocacy and communications, as well as immunisation and vaccines. Worksheets are available in PDF and Excel formats. The publishers say that: "You are invited to work through the modules and learn how to develop an effective and evidence-based advocacy strategy, including key messages, partnerships and, importantly, monitoring and evaluation. There are stories and case studies of how others have developed and implemented effective advocacy and communications approaches." For example, one story explores communication strategies that have been used to respond to negative messages and anti-vaccine campaigners (regarding the oral polio vaccine) in Pakistan.

"This is also a platform to share your knowledge and experiences with fellow advocates and champions. We encourage you to share ideas for content or resources and to tell your stories of advocating for immunisation in the ACT section."

An annotated glossary of immunisation terminology is available here.

This site was developed by PATH and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), and is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.