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Evidence guiding strategy for Solomon Islands National Immunisation Program
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services and partners recently conducted a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Solomon Islands immunisation program to gather evidence to inform the strategic directions and priority activities of the country’s national immunisation program.
The review – which covered the national, sub-national and service-delivery levels – employed a standardised approach that followed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for conducting an Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Review, and included interviews with provincial directors, health workers delivering immunisation services and caregivers.
The review showed there is a strong and established EPI program in Solomon Islands and that childhood immunisation – one of the key pillars of primary health care in the country – is well accepted.
Solomon Islands – which had a population of 724,272 in 2022 – is made up of nine provinces, and routine immunisation services occur at national, provincial and rural health facilities across the country.
However, there is variation in coverage across vaccines and provinces. Coverage for two doses of measles rubella (MR) vaccine was estimated at 48% in 2023, while coverage for the third dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis-containing vaccine (DTP3) was estimated at 84% in 2023, for example.
The review identified that skilled, committed staff members are working at all levels of the Solomon Islands health system and that vaccination is integrated with other child health programs. Notably, recent years have seen improvements in cold chain management, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Identified opportunities for improvement included increasing the budget for critical activities such as outreach, supportive supervision and timely delivery of vaccines. Given more than 70% of the Solomon Islands population lives in rural areas (i.e. remote islands, forest and mountain areas) that are often only accessible by boat or over rough terrain, outreach activities are important to reaching under-vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
The findings and recommendations of this EPI Review will be used to support the development of the Solomon Islands National Immunization Strategy 2025–2030. An annual national meeting to evaluate progress in relation to the Review recommendations has been proposed.
Partners in this activity included the WHO; UNICEF; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS); PATH; the Australian Government; and the World Bank.
Banner photo: Review field visit to assess Tatamba Area Health Centre, Isabel Province, on child welfare clinic day