Calling Immunization Innovators – New Initiative to Boost Child Vaccination Rates in Ethiopia (Grant Opportunity by Save the Children)

About Save the Children:

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children. We work in around 120 countries. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential.

Save the Children strives to achieve a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation. We work to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Across all our work, we pursue several core values: accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity, and integrity. ​

Role Overview:

Save the Children has been a longstanding champion for childhood immunization programs in Ethiopia, consistently worked on multiple fronts: ensuring health facilities have adequate vaccines, educating communities on their importance, and collaborating with the government to improve healthcare systems and secure fair access and funding. This dedication continues with Our new partnership with GSK. This collaboration targets children who haven’t received any vaccinations or haven’t completed the recommended schedule, leveraging the expertise of both organizations to protect these vulnerable children.

Building on this commitment, Save the Children has launched the Immunization Accelerator initiative, funded by GSK, to tackle remaining barriers to child vaccination in Ethiopia (and Nigeria). This initiative seeks innovative solutions from various organizations, with promising approaches receiving financial and technical support to pilot their ideas. This program specifically targets the high number of “zero-dose” children in Africa, including Ethiopia and Nigeria. By addressing both supply and demand-side barriers, the Accelerator aims to significantly improve access and utilization of vaccines. With grants available and applications open until May 24th, 2024, this initiative has the potential to revolutionize child immunization not just in Ethiopia, but across Africa, with the support of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and GSK’s backing.

What kind of support does the Accelerator offer?

• Grants of up to $100,000 per project for promising approaches/innovative solutions.
• Comprehensive technical support and services tailored to respective needs.

For further information, please see the Press release on our website: [Save the Children website].

Together, let’s ensure every child in Africa has access to life-saving vaccines!

 Why is this important?

Africa has the highest number of unvaccinated children globally, with a staggering 8.7 million having never received a single routine vaccination.

The Accelerator targets solutions that address key challenges, including:

• Improving community engagement and addressing vaccine hesitancy.
• Streamlining vaccine logistics and ensuring accessibility.
• Strengthening data management for better tracking and decision-making.

Who can Apply:

• community-based organizations,
• local and international NGOs,
• CSOs
• Professional Associations
• Academic Institutions
• research teams,
• social enterprises and
• tech companies

ALL of the above entities must –

• Be a legally registered entity in Nigeria or Ethiopia.
• Conduct their research and/or operations in Nigeria or Ethiopia.
• Be able to demonstrate a track record in these regions.

Assessment considerations

A submission will typically be assessed on criteria such as: potential of the innovation to address a barrier to immunization, evidence of success to date, potential for adaptation and transfer to other contexts, sustainability and strength of the team. We particularly invite proposals that on focus on barriers faced by historically marginalized communities