A recent qualitative study published in PLOS Global Public Health explores how the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed both opportunities and challenges for integrating health campaigns across immunizations, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), and vitamin A supplementation. Researchers interviewed 26 stakeholders (including campaign managers, donors, and national health officials) across Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Indonesia, and Nigeria, finding that integration efforts varied—from loose collaboration and partial sharing of resources to full co-delivery of interventions and embedding in routine services. While the pandemic’s disruptions (such as resource diversion, movement restrictions, and school closures) stalled many campaigns, they also created urgency to rethink vertical program silos and to seize efficiencies through synergy in planning, logistics, and community engagement.
Key enablers of integration included joint planning with clear roles, alignment of incentives, and strong leadership. However, significant barriers emerged: differing target populations for various interventions, mismatched donor timelines, overburdening health workers, and data and monitoring challenges. Certain enablers and obstacles even functioned in dual roles depending on context. Leadership, political will, and partner trust emerged as central “cement” that holds integration together, but sustainability remains fragile without structural support. The authors recommend further operational research into optimal commodity combinations, stakeholder engagement strategies, integration of local context (e.g. seasonal timing), and institutionalization of successful integration pathways to guide future campaign design.
How can the findings be used?
Findings from this research will be useful for national program managers and donors in particular as they seek to integrate health campaign delivery. Understanding what factors make integration work, and where potential challenges may lie will be important in the planning stage of any integrated campaign activity.
Thumbnail image credit: Shutterstock / I Putu Ardyantara
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