The Challenge

• Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had a high routine childhood vaccination coverage rate of 90%, signifying a strong historical acceptance of vaccinations. However, the pandemic caused a shift in this trend, as studies revealed that the region had among the lowest COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates globally.

• Low vaccination coverage results from a set of environmental, social and psychological barriers that hamper vaccination acceptance. The use of social and behavioural sciences to unpack these barriers is essential to provide the right solutions and messages to the public and can be applied to multiple vaccination challenges in different contexts.

• Private sector partnerships have the potential to support social and behaviour change outcomes around vaccination. MAGENTA, in partnership with UNICEF MENARO, developed an SBC guide that builds a case for private sector partnerships for increased vaccination uptake in the MENA region. In particular, it provides ideas of how businesses can leverage their assets, expertise, voice and influence to support vaccination efforts in the region.

The Project Objectives

The main objectives of this project were to :

1. Develop a practical guide on how public private sector partnerships can be leveraged to increase vaccination uptake in the MENA region, using social and behavioural insights and human-centered design approaches

2. Design a dissemination and roll out plan to promote and roll out the plan in the region, and beyond.

What we did

• A thorough review of literature on vaccination uptake in the MENA region and on the role the private sector has played in supporting COVID-19 vaccination campaigns

• A series of consultations with UNICEF Country Offices to collect case studies of private sector partnerships for vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on the value of social and behavioural sciences in the case studies

• A co-design workshop with the private sector in Jordan to test the approach and somes ideas presented in this guide

A guide developed using humancentred design best practices

The guide was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders who will champion and directly use it, including public sector practitioners working on vaccination, health and partnerships, as well as the private sector.

What does it include ?

• A case for private sector partnerships in vaccination efforts, emphasizing the mutual benefits of partnering together for both private and public entities, suggestions of ideal private sector partners to reach priority and hard to reach populations, and a step by step process to follow to ensure successful initiatives.

• A detailed presentation of the psychological, sociological, and environmental challenges to vaccination among people in the MENA region, and a set of personas to more effectively understand the target audience.

• A list of 12 concrete partnership initiatives to overcome the obstacles that people may face during their vaccination journey, along with examples of relevant experiences and case studies from COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the MENA region.

• A section with examples of potential barriers that may hinder businesses’ participation in vaccination initiatives, along with strategies to effectively overcome these barriers and facilitate successful partnerships.

Impact

MAGENTA provided UNICEF MENARO with a final designed guide which provides multiple partnership ideas that public sector practitioners and private sector organisations can use to define partnerships strategies for increased vaccination uptake in the MENA region. It also provides key tips for encouraging mutually beneficial and fruitful partnerships.