Introduction
As part of Development Consortium’s commitment to preventive health, Enhancing Immunization Awareness and Uptake aims to improve vaccine coverage among children and pregnant women across underserved communities. Implemented under the Suvita program, this initiative tackles the challenge of missed vaccinations due to low awareness or lack of timely reminders. Through personalized SMS alerts sent to caregivers and pregnant women, the program nudges timely uptake of immunization and antenatal care. It also activates a network of trusted community ambassadors who engage families through door-to-door conversations and local advocacy-ensuring that the message of immunization reaches homes with credibility and care.
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Built in partnership with state governments and powered by data, this program approach is rooted in simplicity and scale. Through a combination of behavioral nudges and community engagement, Suvita makes critical health information accessible to caregivers -many of whom may not have regular contact with health workers or health education materials.
Background
Vaccination plays a critical role in preventing diseases and saving lives, with the potential to prevent 2-3 million child deaths annually. Despite its cost-effectiveness and substantial social and economic benefits, vaccination coverage remains uneven globally, particularly in India where half of the world’s undervaccinated children reside. This results in a child dying every four minutes in India from a vaccine-preventable disease, highlighting the urgent need for improved vaccination coverage.
To address these challenges, Suvita was founded in 2019 after evaluating the results of the landmark study by Nobel Prize laureates Banerjee et al. (2019), with the aim of replicating and scaling up the researchers' proven approach for increasing uptake of vaccines: immunisation ambassadors.
In 2020, this program merged with Charity Science Health (CSH) - another nonprofit working to increase uptake of immunisation in India. CSH had been working since 2017 to send SMS reminders about immunisations to caregivers.
With a strengthened team running two programmes - immunisation ambassadors and SMS reminders - to increase uptake of routine vaccinations, the project’s long-term goal is to take both to scale across India, in close collaboration with state government partners, to ensure that no child misses out on their routine vaccinations.
Goals and Objectives
Suvita's mission is to improve routine immunization uptake, especially in underserved areas, by:
Enhancing awareness and accessibility of vaccination programs.
Reducing the disparities in immunization coverage across different regions.
Providing communities with the tools and knowledge to protect their children against preventable diseases.
Implementation Strategy
Suvita implements two innovative programs to achieve its objectives:
SMS Reminders Programme: This initiative sends automated, personalized reminders to caregivers about their child’s upcoming vaccinations. It also provides health reminders to pregnant women in Maharashtra and supports postpartum family planning in Bihar.
Immunisation Ambassadors Programme: Our program builds a network of community-nominated influencers who volunteer as Immunization Ambassadors. These ambassadors actively promote vaccination in their communities through regular engagement and information dissemination.
Impact and Achievements
In 2023-2024, our program reached significant milestones:
Delivered SMS reminders to 671,003 caregivers and health care nudges to 1,399,406 pregnant women.
Enrolled 2,853 ambassadors in Bihar's Saran district and 546 in Maharashtra's Satara district to spread vital vaccination information.
Received positive feedback from ASHA workers in Maharashtra, highlighting improved vaccination awareness and uptake due to the reminders.
Future Direction
This program aims to expand its reach and deepen its impact by scaling up its programs across more states in India. By collaborating with state governments and local partners, Suvita seeks to ensure no child misses out on their routine vaccinations, moving closer to achieving sustainable health outcomes nationwide.
Through its comprehensive approach and dedicated efforts, our immunization uptake initiative is making significant strides in increasing vaccination coverage in India. By ensuring that more children receive timely immunizations, our program is not only saving lives but also contributing to the broader goal of improving public health infrastructure in collaboration with Development Consortium.