"The success of global initiatives like the GPEI relies heavily on the body work of FLWs so it is critical to reflect on how these individuals, who are largely women, can be supported by their organisations." Frontline workers (FLWs) in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) go door to door delivering oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children.
Rahimi); University of Kinshasa School of Public Health (
Kayembe) Clear and transparent communication is needed throughout the research process to establish relationships and maintain momentum in the project. Consortia, a sub-set of partnerships focused on a participatory approach to conducting research in multi-country settings, work to generate knowledge with the ultimate goal of combatting health disparities. One such endeavour is the Synthesis and Translation of Research and Innovations from Polio Eradication (STRIPE) project, which seeks to map, synthesise, and disseminate lessons learned from the global polio eradication effort. STRIPE is a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and 7 academic and research country partners in the global south (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Nigeria). The first year of the 5-year project consisted of knowledge mapping activities, which included a scoping revie
Owoaje, Akinyemi); Global Innovations Consultancy Services (
Rahimi); Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (
Kalbarczyk, Peters, Alonge) The power of community engagement at all levels (from leadership to membership) cannot be overstated, particularly in countries facing civil unrest and insecurity. Despite efforts over decades by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), transmission of wild poliovirus (WPV) is ongoing in Afghanistan, and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) is still occurring in Nigeria. Despite their unique sociocultural characteristics, these countries share risk factors for the spread of polio, including civil unrest and conflict; vaccine refusals, mistrust, and fatigue; and competing political agendas. This paper shares research conducted by the Synthesis and Translation of Research and Innovations from Polio Eradication (STRIPE) consortium (