New toolkit to make vaccine response more gender equitable

29 November, 2023

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to share information on a new toolkit developed by Breakthrough ACTION to make vaccine response more gender equitable.

Best regards,

Marcela Aguilar, MHS

Communications Director

Breakthrough ACTION

NEW TOOLKIT TO MAKE VACCINE RESPONSE MORE GENDER EQUITABLE

Gender inequalities can influence the uptake of vaccines that prevent diseases. The negative impact of gender inequalities became more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic as health professionals around the world raced to get citizens vaccinated against the disease.

Breakthrough ACTION recently developed Gender Analysis for Vaccine Response: Toolkit for Risk Communications and Community Engagement Actors (https://breakthroughactionandresearch.org/gender-analysis-toolkit-for-va...) to help health professionals conduct gender analyses during health emergencies and provides guidance on developing gender-informed vaccine response that increases coverage for all.

While this toolkit was developed based on Breakthrough ACTION’s work to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake, it is applicable for vaccine response for epidemics, pandemics, and routine immunization programs.

The toolkit is available in English and French and includes:

- Evidence on the importance of considering gender in a vaccine response.

- Step-by-step guidance and tips for conducting a gender analysis.

- Worksheets to collect, organize, and analyze existing information and make recommendations across three risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) pillars.

- An illustrative gender analysis based on a country’s COVID-19 vaccine response.

- Additional resources for integrating gender in RCCE activities.

DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT: https://breakthroughactionandresearch.org/gender-analysis-toolkit-for-va...

HIFA profile: Marcela Aguilar is Director of Communications at Breakthrough ACTION, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Washington DC. www.breakthroughactionandresearch.org marcela.aguilar AT jhu.edu