DGI Consult was engaged by the Agency to conduct an outcome assessment of UNICEF intervention in two zero-dose LGAs in Yobe State.

Through the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), YSCHMA enrolled 10,000 vulnerable pregnant women, under-5 children, and other indigent groups in  two priority zero-dose local government areas (Gulani and Geidam) into the contributory healthcare scheme to access free healthcare services. This support aimed to improve access to health care and increase immunization uptake in the two LGAs.

DGI Consult conducted an outcome assessment to measure the intervention’s effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, its impact on improving access to health care by the target population, and its effectiveness in reducing zero-dose children in the two LGAs. The assessment comprised two components – a case-control study and a process assessment, which were conducted using mixed methods comprising qualitative and quantitative methods. The case-control study was conducted through a household-based immunization coverage survey of 840 children aged 0-23 months in the two intervention LGAs (Gulani and Geidam) and two control LGAs (Damaturu and Gujba). On the other hand, the process assessment scrutinized the intervention’s processes, and measured its efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, and impact on the beneficiaries and the community’s health-seeking behaviour.

The research involved desk reviews of relevant project documents and health facility records, key informant interviews with representatives of YSCHMA, officers-in-charge (OICs) of selected intervention health facilities and community leaders, and focus group discussions with project beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in the intervention LGAs

Based on the outcome assessment findings, recommendations were made to guide YSCHMA, UNICEF and other relevant stakeholders on the sustainability and expansion of the intervention, as well as the implementation of similar projects in future.