KHPT organized a meeting on June 27 to disseminate learnings and facilitate experience sharing on improving the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the most vulnerable communities. These findings were rqelated to activities conducted through the USAID-supported MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity (M-RITE) project, which wasimplemented in 14 districts of Karnataka. The meeting focused specifically on innovative interventions through which the project reached the most vulnerable communities, and how these strategies were adopted for Routine Immunization as well. The meeting brought together over 150 representatives from the Health Department, stakeholders from JSI M-RITE, and KHPT, including Reproductive Child Health Officers (RCHO), KHPT state, district, taluka staffs and community volunteers, Gram Panchayat presidents, and community leaders.

Dr. Rajani B N, Deputy Director-Immunization, State Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka addressed the meeting and released a project flyer and compendium of case stories developed by KHPT under the project. A gallery walk was set up to showcased the M-RITE project’s different interventions, along with impact and best practices.

Mr. Ashok Raisinghani, the Director of Operations at JSI India, talked about the project’s achievement and context behind the project implementation. Dr. Pradeep Haldar, a Senior Immunization Strategic Advisor at JSI India, discussed the utilization of COVID-19 insights to enhance routine immunization efforts. Dr. Deepak KG, the State Project Manager at JSIPL, M-RITE, provided a comprehensive overview of the MRITE project’s execution in Karnataka.

The learning and experience sharing meeting highlighted the most important strategies for successful vaccination. These include collaborative approaches involving government, community, and religious leaders to build trust and ensure equitable access. Additionally, mapping marginalized populations, partnerships with local NGOs and community-based organizations, and effective communication strategies, such as tailored messaging and leveraging special events, were also discussed.