Global Impact, on behalf of the Alliance for Advancing Health e-Health (AAHO), shares research and announces new upcoming program at the 75th World Health Assembly
Global Impact Releases Preliminary Report of Vaccine Confidence Fund Grantee Findings and Provides Information on New Upcoming Request for Proposals
Alexandria, Va., May 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, a preliminary report on findings from research supported by the Vaccine Trust Fund came out at 75and World Health Assembly. The global research aims to reveal insights into how to harness social media and online engagement to build trust in vaccines. Global Impact, the fiscal sponsor and manager of the Fund, also announced that there will be a new round of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for global research focused on vaccine trust, with a focus on improving routine immunization and training of health workers on reducing vaccine hesitancy. The Fund is a program of the Alliance for Advancing Health Online (AAHO) and is financially supported by Meta and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada).
Last year, the Fund published an open tender, managed by Global Impact. Global Impact sought submissions that address how best to use social media to better understand vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccine trust and uptake. In October, the Fund disbursed $7.3 million in funding to 33 grantees worldwide to pursue new and transformative approaches using social media and behavioral science to address the issue.
the Vaccine Trust Fund preliminary analysis report presents findings from beneficiary research, including information on potential ways to leverage social media and online engagement to build trust in vaccines. Common themes that emerged from the research can help inform best practices for increasing trust and uptake of vaccines through social media.
“We are excited to share a first look at how Fund grantees are exploring new use cases for social media platforms for health efforts,” said Kang-Xing Jin, Chief Health Officer at Meta. “We have seen that online platforms have unique strengths, such as global scale and the ability to personalize content and services at low cost, which can play a significant role in improving global public health – for the current pandemic and beyond.”
Bridget Deacon, CEO of grant recipient Shujaaz Inc., said, “Our research shows that young people can be powerful agents of change in their communities. It underscored for us the power of real and fictional stories to get people talking. We know it’s these conversations that change norms and change behaviors – to increase uptake and beyond. This grant also allowed us to refine our targeting; enabling us to reach the right audiences with public health messages that resonate, at the right time, from the most powerful messenger.
The report includes an update from a team at the University of California, San Francisco that examined the potential of WhatsApp chatbots to address COVID-19 vaccination issues among pregnant and breastfeeding women in rural areas of North India. “Chatbots in WhatsApp groups are feasible, acceptable and effectively address COVID-19 vaccination issues among pregnant and lactating women in rural North India,” said Alison M. El Ayadi, ScD MPH, Associate Professor, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health Department of Obstetrics, University of California, San Francisco.
In July 2022, the Fund plans to release a full version of the report including information from all 33 grantees.
Global Impact, on behalf of the Alliance to Advance eHealth, is delighted to launch a second Request for Proposals (RFP) in the coming weeks for global research focused on trust in vaccines, highlighting emphasis on improving routine immunization and training health workers on how to address vaccine hesitancy. Click here to sign up to receive an email notification when the RFP is posted.
“Tackling vaccine hesitancy requires investing in efforts to increase understanding of the importance of routine immunization,” said Michael D. Fornwall, Associate Vice President, Immunization Confidence, Merck & Co. , Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada). “By breaking down traditional silos, we hope the information shared will support more innovative use of social media to empower individuals and communities with credible and accurate data and resources to make informed healthcare decisions.”
About the AAHO
The Alliance for Advancing Health Online (AAHO) is a newly formed and evolving coalition of stakeholders from technology, health, global development and academia who are united to explore how social media and online engagement can improve the health and resilience of communities around the world. Currently, stakeholders involved in AAHO include the Bay Area Global Health Alliance, CDC Foundation, MIT Digital Economy Initiative, Sabin Vaccine Institute, Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. The multi-year, $40 million initiative, funded by Meta and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), will initially focus on reluctance immunization and vaccine equity with a strong focus on historically excluded or marginalized communities.
About Global Impact
Global impact works on charitable ventures to inspire more giving and serves as a trusted advisor, broker, and implementation partner in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Through these partnerships, Global Impact has raised nearly $2 billion for causes including disaster relief and global development. Global Impact’s reach and services are complemented by the work of its subsidiary, Global Geneva.
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CONTACT: Cassie Call Global Impact [email protected]
