Building relationships for the decade of maternal vaccines: PROTECT stakeholder meetings
PROTECT, a consortium aiming to improve maternal and child health in Africa, has been active for close to a year now, and partners have been busy with preparatory activities and meetings with key stakeholders.
All African partners will soon set up pregnancy registries in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda and conduct studies on pregnancy, deliveries, and infant health. The findings will help understand the current burden of Group B Streptococcus and the impact of a future vaccine better, as well as benefit local medical professionals by informing their care for patients. To ensure that all key stakeholders are informed and actively involved in this research endeavour, partners have been meeting with health authorities at different levels, organisations engaged in improving access to medical services, and other international projects whose aims complement PROTECT’s.
Soon after the project kick-off meeting in June 2024, stakeholder meetings took off. MU-JHU representatives participated in the Uganda National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group meeting, which includes the Ugandan Ministry of Health. The PROTECT project overview was presented, and positive feedback was received, as the Group B Streptococcus vaccine is among Uganda's priority vaccines. The advisory group encouraged the research team to provide local context data to inform decision-making and policy.
In July, activities continued in Mozambique, with the representatives of Fundaçao Manhiça (FM) and project coordinator Instituto de Salud Global Barcelona meeting with the Ministry of Health. They spoke with the head of the Expanded Program of Immunization and the head of the Maternal, Child, and Family Health department to present them with an overview of the planned upcoming studies. They also met with and held a similar presentation with the management of one of the forthcoming study sites - Mavalane General Hospital.
In Kenya, the Aga Khan University (AKU) team visited two research projects in August, discussing the common aims projects share and learning about their practices that could be implemented in PROTECT. The visits took place in Kisumu at the Centre for Global Health Research, one of the Kenya Medical Research Institute’s (KEMRI) research centres. Their MiMBa study maintains a pregnancy registry and utilizes scannable paper-based forms to capture and store data. Using this method in PROTECT could help support the establishment of pregnancy registries in facilities which don’t yet have fully operational electronic medical health record systems. KEMRI are also involved in the C-it-Du-it study, where electronic medical records, connected with community health systems, are implemented to track health data. The AKU team gained valuable insight into the potential implementation of these tried and tested methods within the PROTECT study framework.
Photos: Aga Khan University meetings in Kisumu.
PROTECT partners moved on to high-level stakeholder meetings in September, with an event exploring maternal immunisation in Uganda, organised by MU-JHU. The project team presented PROTECT and its activities, which will help lay the foundation for the decade of maternal vaccines in Africa. They discussed the upcoming study and demonstrated how it builds on MU-JHU’s previous efforts to prepare the country for maternal vaccines. The meeting aimed to inform key stakeholders, including representatives from the National Drug Authority (NDA), Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), the Ministry of Health, PATH, WHO, academia, professional organisations, and local government officials, of upcoming PROTECT activities. The stakeholders appreciated the opportunity to offer feedback on the study plans, with the Ministry of Health pledging to provide all necessary support to ensure the project's success.
In October, Fundaçao Manhiça and ISGlobal held a digital meeting with representatives of PATH Mozambique, an organisation active in maternal and child health projects. Participants discussed the project and explored potential collaboration opportunities in the coming years.
Wrapping up PROTECT’s first year of activity, the Aga Khan University (AKU) team headed to Mariakani and Rabai in Kenya in February. There, they met with sub-county and hospital management teams and introduced them to the upcoming study, which will explore the understanding and willingness of pregnant women to participate in vaccine trials and monitor the knowledge, attitudes and practices around maternal vaccination, vaccine confidence and vaccine trials. They also sought the expertise and support of the management teams and the nurses to ensure the smooth rollout of the study.
Photos: Aga Khan University meetings in Mariakani and Rabai.
Overall, the project's first year was full of meaningful conversations and a thorough exploration of best practices, ensuring PROTECT is built on a strong foundation, transparency, and genuine involvement of relevant stakeholders in each participating African country.
Following these preparatory activities, everything is on track for the start of the planned maternal and infant health studies this year.
