At the end of December 2021, with only 4.5% of the population aged 18 and over vaccinated against COVID-19 in Burkina Faso (according to the Ministry of Health), the country launched its first intensive vaccination campaigns against the disease. The goal was to vaccinate 70% of the population by the end of 2022. Several other similar campaigns followed in 2022.
The case of the Centre region
In the Centre region, as of December 31, 2022, the full COVID-19 vaccination coverage was 12.98%. Two health districts in the Centre region, Sig-Noghin and Nongr-Massom, recorded the lowest administrative coverage rates in the region. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso had been facing a humanitarian crisis for several months, leading to an increase in displaced persons and changes in the composition of the populations targeted for vaccination.
A household survey with IASO
In this context, a household survey was organized by the Regional Health and Public Hygiene Directorate of the Centre from March 15 to 25, 2023. The objectives of this survey were:
- To estimate the actual COVID-19 vaccination coverage in these two health districts
- To identify the main reasons for the low uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in these two districts
- To redirect the strategies of future intensified campaigns using the scientific evidence provided by this survey
As the technical partner of the project, Bluesquare deployed the digital and open-source tool IASO to carry out the data collection work to meet these objectives. It was used in this context to collect data via mobile devices at the enumeration areas. IASO was chosen for its geographic data management capabilities (geo-registry). Enumeration areas were determined in advance, and surveyors were able to complete their survey forms while verifying that they were geographically in the correct area, even while offline.
