Isiaka Saheed Dipo, Awobeku Dapo, Jimoh Akolade Uthman, Dauda Mahfus, Samuel Olugbemisola Wuraola, Asaolu Stephen Olabode, Ayodeji Oluwafisayo Azeez, Atobatele Sunday, Adenipekun Segun, Okoh Chukwudinma, Adegoke Zubair, Sampson Sidney
Sydani Institute for Research and Innovation, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria.
School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Jan 27;25(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12319-2.
Evidence from literature has established that tracing lost to follow-up clients is an effective strategy for complementing other mechanisms for infectious disease control like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and other diseases such as Ebola. As a long-standing successful public health method of optimizing acceptance and/or adherence to infectious disease treatment tracing lost to follow-up clients is usually carried out by manually investigating individuals who absconded or are absent from treatments designed to manage and/or promote their health status. This study seeks to explore the role of mobile teams in tracing clients lost to follow-up for immunization.
This study was premised on a qualitative research approach to elicit information from purposively selected populations across 9 local government areas (LGA) in Ekiti state, Nigeria. Focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews were the selected methods of data collection on the roles of mobile teams in tracing lost to follow-up clients for the optimization of COVID-19 and routine immunization in Ekiti state.
A total of 107 healthcare workers across Ekiti state were selected to participate in this study. Our study found tracing lost to follow-up clients resulted in two major successes for health workers. These are increased awareness of COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization, and improved vaccination coverage for both categories of vaccinees. Distance between communities, and transportation, were interdependent issues reported by health workers as challenges in the course of their duties.
Our study emphasizes the importance of onboarding and/or training health workers across all categories that are involved in the implementation of a public health program, irrespective of the existing knowledge that they may have on the concept. This study recommends that health workers across all levels, in collaboration with key players and stakeholders employ human-centered designed approaches to improve the sensitization of caregivers, and community populace on the values, benefits, and significance of the COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization uptake.
文献证据表明，追踪失访客户是补充其他传染病控制机制（如人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）、结核病以及埃博拉等其他疾病）的有效策略。作为一种长期成功的公共卫生方法，为优化对传染病治疗的接受度和/或依从性，追踪失访客户通常通过人工调查那些擅自离开或未参加旨在管理和/或改善其健康状况的治疗的个体来进行。本研究旨在探讨流动团队在追踪失访的免疫接种客户方面的作用。
本研究基于定性研究方法，从尼日利亚埃基蒂州9个地方政府辖区（LGA）中有目的地选取人群获取信息。焦点小组讨论、深入访谈和关键 informant 访谈是选定的数据收集方法，用于了解流动团队在追踪失访客户以优化埃基蒂州 COVID-19 和常规免疫接种方面的作用。
埃基蒂州共有107名医护人员被选中参与本研究。我们的研究发现，追踪失访客户给医护人员带来了两大成功。这包括提高了对 COVID-19 疫苗接种和常规免疫接种的认识，以及提高了两类疫苗接种者的疫苗接种覆盖率。社区之间的距离和交通是医护人员报告的在履行职责过程中相互关联的挑战问题。
我们的研究强调了让参与公共卫生项目实施的所有类别医护人员入职和/或接受培训的重要性，无论他们对该概念可能已有的知识如何。本研究建议各级医护人员与关键参与者和利益相关者合作，采用以人为本的设计方法，以提高护理人员和社区民众对 COVID-19 疫苗接种和常规免疫接种的价值、益处及重要性的认识。
