Transitioning the Consequential Geography Project in Zamfara State: AFENET’s Commitment to Sustainability

Over the past year, AFENET-NSTOP, with technical and financial support from the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been implementing the Consequential Geography (CG) Project in Zamfara State. The project aims to strengthen routine immunization (RI), increase vaccine coverage, reduce the number of zero-dose and under-immunized children, and enhance surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).

A key strategy of the project is community-driven engagement, enlisting traditional rulers and community leaders as vital influencers to increase demand for immunization and encourage compliance with health interventions. Through this approach, communities actively identify, enumerate, vaccinate, and follow up on zero-dose and under-immunized children using the Optimized Outreach Strategy (OOS). This targeted intervention has significantly improved community ownership, participation, and vaccine uptake in Zamfara State.

Pre-Transition Engagement for Sustainability

As part of the planned transition of the CG project to the Government of Zamfara State for long-term sustainability, a pre-transition engagement meeting was held from February 21–22, 2025, in Sokoto State. The objectives of the meeting were to:

• Update stakeholders on the progress of the CG project.
• Review achievements and lessons learned from implementation.
• Discuss planned pre-transition activities to ensure a seamless handover.
• Develop sustainability strategies and define the roles of stakeholders.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including the Executive Secretary (ES) of the Zamfara State Primary Health Care Board, the Director of Disease Control and Immunization (DDCI), the State Immunization Officer (SIO), and other representatives from the State RI Working Group, Community Engagement, Disease Surveillance, Cold Chain, Monitoring & Evaluation, and the NPHCDA State Coordinator.

Stakeholders’ Commitment to Sustainability

During the deliberations, participants collaboratively outlined a roadmap for the transition, ensuring that state and local actors fully understand their roles in sustaining the CG project beyond AFENET’s direct implementation.

Key achievements of the project, include:

• Capacity building of healthcare workers, with knowledge cascaded across the state.
• Robust community engagement, increasing participation of traditional and religious leaders in demand generation.
• Over 20% reduction in the number of zero-dose children in Zamfara State.
• Enhanced data collection systems and updated records on zero-dose and under-immunized children.

Dr. Saheed Gidado, the National Coordinator of the National Stop Transmission of Polio (NSTOP) and AFENET Team Lead, reassured stakeholders that AFENET will maintain its presence in Zamfara State through ongoing support and future public health initiatives.

Both the Executive Secretary of ZSPHCDA and the National Coordinator of NSTOP expressed gratitude to the U.S. CDC for its invaluable support in implementing the CG project, noting its crucial role in reducing childhood morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.