Health facility capacity to deliver routine childhood immunisations: an assessment of health facilities in Gazelle and Kokopo Districts, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea
1
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
2
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia
3
Jhpiego, Baltimore, United States
4
School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia
5
Mustard Seed Global, Sydney, Australia
6
Burnet Institute, Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
7
East New Britain Provincial Health Authority, Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
8
Papua New Guinea National Department of Health, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
9
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Boroko, Papua New Guinea
10
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
11
The School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
12
Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
13
Department of General Medicine, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia
14
Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Over the past decade, the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority in PNG has worked with partner research organisations to identify and implement data-driven service delivery interventions to improve immunisation coverage. The overall increase of DTP3 from 53% in 2019 to 67% in 2024 is likely reflective of these efforts.¹ This study aimed to assess routine childhood immunisation-specific health facility capacity in two districts of East New Britain Province.
METHODS:
Between February and September 2023, nine urban and rural health facilities, representing most immunisation service providers in five study areas, were assessed using an adapted WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool.² The tool evaluated facility characteristics, readiness to deliver routine childhood immunisations, and vaccine supply data. Findings were mapped to adapted WHO health systems categories to identify priority areas for service delivery improvement.³
RESULTS:
Several aspects of immunisation service availability and quality had improved since a previous 2016/17 assessment. Our assessment found strengths such as provision of fixed-facility and outreach service models tailored to the catchment populations, high availability of cold chain and vaccine administration equipment and improved availability of immunisation guidance and related job-aids. It also identified priority areas for investment such as increasing health workforce capacity, strengthening the completion of health records to better inform outreach activities, increasing the availability of guidelines and reporting tools, reducing stock-outs and enhancing stock tracking mechanisms.
CONCLUSIONS:
Offering accessible vaccination at every opportunity and using quality data to inform program implementation and resource allocation is a priority for the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority. This facility-level assessment identified existing immunisation delivery strengths and highlighted priority investment areas at both community and provincial levels to strengthen health facility capacity and routine immunisation service delivery in the province.
Over the past decade, the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority in PNG has worked with partner research organisations to identify and implement data-driven service delivery interventions to improve immunisation coverage. The overall increase of DTP3 from 53% in 2019 to 67% in 2024 is likely reflective of these efforts.¹ This study aimed to assess routine childhood immunisation-specific health facility capacity in two districts of East New Britain Province.
METHODS:
Between February and September 2023, nine urban and rural health facilities, representing most immunisation service providers in five study areas, were assessed using an adapted WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool.² The tool evaluated facility characteristics, readiness to deliver routine childhood immunisations, and vaccine supply data. Findings were mapped to adapted WHO health systems categories to identify priority areas for service delivery improvement.³
RESULTS:
Several aspects of immunisation service availability and quality had improved since a previous 2016/17 assessment. Our assessment found strengths such as provision of fixed-facility and outreach service models tailored to the catchment populations, high availability of cold chain and vaccine administration equipment and improved availability of immunisation guidance and related job-aids. It also identified priority areas for investment such as increasing health workforce capacity, strengthening the completion of health records to better inform outreach activities, increasing the availability of guidelines and reporting tools, reducing stock-outs and enhancing stock tracking mechanisms.
CONCLUSIONS:
Offering accessible vaccination at every opportunity and using quality data to inform program implementation and resource allocation is a priority for the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority. This facility-level assessment identified existing immunisation delivery strengths and highlighted priority investment areas at both community and provincial levels to strengthen health facility capacity and routine immunisation service delivery in the province.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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