Training to improve the vaccination offer: the experience of the AcToVax4NAM project

BACKGROUND: Developing training activities material with the aim of strengthening vaccination literacy and cultural aware approach among “Professional-FOR-health”, all health and social care workers and other professionals working in the field of the immunization of Newley Arrived Migrants (NAMs), is part of the activities of the project “Access To Vaccination for Newly Arrived Migrants”-AcToVax4NAM (Grant n.101018349, 3rdEU Health Programme). OBJECTIVES: The Italian project Team, Sapienza University of Rome and Italian National Health Institute, designed the framework for training to strengthen the healthcare system Vaccination Literacy and responsiveness among Professional-FOR-health, in order to increase the capacity building skills and cultural sensitivity of the healthcare system in promoting active immunization of NAMs. The training materials were shared to all Consortium Countries (Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, Spain) to be implemented in their context. RESULTS: The targets of the training activities are health professionals responsible for vaccination, professionals from other services that meet NAMs or promote vaccination (GPs/FPs), professionals active in the target area (NGOs). We designed a blended training, face to face sessions, web sessions should alternate. The topics are “Vaccine Literacy”, “Cultural awareness/migrant sensitivity”, “Health promotion tools with community-based approach” and “Entitlement to vaccination for NAMs/NAMs profile”. 4 evaluation tools were constructed: a pre- and post-test learning, an exploratory survey on the level of vaccine literacy of the organisations involved, a satisfaction questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Each country will construct, based on the resources made available, a course that is as adherent as possible to the context of its own country and target group. This type of training can be the groundwork for the changes needed to make the NAMs vaccination process more guaranteed and inclusive. KEY MESSAGES: • It is important to stimulate a training process that enables health professionals to reconnect their daily experiences with a broader context of thinking, for a real empowerment process. • As learners’ cannot be seen as mere recipients of notions and information, their needs, motivations and experiences should be put right at the centre of the training process.