This collaborative effort between U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE), and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Africa is aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. The project focuses on promoting timely hepatitis B birth dose vaccination, ideally within 24 hours of delivery, through community sensitization and advocating for policy change.

With a significant number of children affected by the virus in Sub-Saharan Africa, the initiative addresses the lack of routine immunization programs providing the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine in the participating regions. Only 15 out of 47 countries in the World Health Organization African Region provide hepatitis B birth dose vaccinations as part of their routine immunization programs, leaving around 28 million newborns without protection from the virus.

The project began as a request for proposals CGHE posted on our website in December of 2021. After selecting grantees in early 2022, initial discussions with each CSO occurred in spring of that year, with most projects initiating activities in May of 2022 and finishing by that December.

Leveraging trusted local messengers and tailored communication strategies, the project disseminates information through posters, brochures, stickers, and radio jingles in local languages. 

So far, the effort has been well-received, leading to the inclusion of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine in Uganda's immunization schedule. In 2023, Ghana also announced it will include hepatitis B birth dose in its national vaccination strategy.

A new round of proposals for additional projects will be accepted in September, 2023.

You can learn more about each project, and view and listen to some of the materials produced here:

Cameroon

Ghana

Malawi

Uganda (Great Lakes Peace Center)

Uganda (Hepatitis Aid Organization)

Above photo courtesy of Care for Social Welfare International (Cameroon)