About this Research Topic
Gender mainstreaming efforts, although long established in other health sectors (e.g., maternal child health, sexual reproductive health, HIV), have not been widely implemented in global immunization programming. However, attention to gender equity in immunization is growing. The focus of this call is to generate evidence to inform WHY and HOW best to move forward with mainstreaming gender in immunization. Through application of methods, measures, and principles from the burgeoning fields of implementation science (i.e., efforts to increase adoption of evidence-based interventions in routine practice) and infodemic management (i.e., efforts to understand and address an overabundance of information in digital and physical environments which can impact immunization behaviors), the development, adaptation, implementation, and scale-up of gender mainstreaming efforts in global immunization is possible.
We welcome empirical quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research, and programmatic reports/notes from the field, as well as reviews, commentaries, and study protocols, with a particular interest in interventional and implementation research, on efforts for gender mainstreaming in immunization within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges to routine immunization systems in LMIC. Papers may include application of theories and frameworks (e.g., life course, social ecological, intersectionality) that report on caregiver, health worker, and/or health system perspectives. As experiences and voices of researchers and practitioners in LMIC will be critical to informing this debate, we are most interested in submissions that include a first and/or last author based in a LMIC, with the setting of data sources being 1) in a LMIC, or 2) within a low-resource setting or among a historically marginalized population within a HIC, as appropriate.
Keywords: Gender equity, Immunization, COVID-19, Implementation Science, Infodemic, Vaccine Confidence, Intersectionality, LMIC, Zero-dose, Human resources for health
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