Vaccines webinar | Embedded Implementation Research in Immunisation Programmes
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3rd Vaccines Webinar
Embedded Implementation Research in Immunisation Programmes
Vaccines are among the most effective public health interventions, yet many children and adolescents continue to miss out on their full benefits. As newer vaccines continue to emerge, health systems must build stronger capacity to optimise delivery and ensure equitable coverage for all recommended vaccines. Persistent gaps in vaccination coverage often arise from a complex interplay of factors at the individual, health facility, health system, and community levels that impact vaccination efforts, and the dynamics of these factors can vary from one setting to another.
Implementation science provides vital tools to help immunisation programmes identify context-specific bottlenecks that impede vaccination efforts, co-develop locally appropriate strategies with stakeholders to address these barriers, test their effectiveness, and adapt or scale successful approaches to other settings. However, implementation research is still often conducted as a time-limited academic activity rather than being institutionalised as a routine programme capability.
This webinar will examine current use cases for implementation research and practice in immunisation programmes and discuss ways to institutionalise implementation science into immunisation programmes to accelerate progress towards Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) targets. Drawing on applied research, country experience, and cross-country learning, speakers will discuss how implementation research can be made more responsive to programme priorities, synchronised with planning and decision-making cycles, and institutionalised within national immunisation systems.
The first presentation focuses on experiences with embedded implementation research in immunisation programmes, highlighting successes, challenges, and ways forward for strengthening programme performance.
Invited Speaker: Dr. Daniela C. Rodríguez
Title Presentation: Experiences with Embedded Implementation Research in Immunisation Programmes: Success, Challenges, and Ways Forward
The second presentation will discuss how embedded implementation research can be institutionalised within immunisation programmes, drawing on lessons from Pakistan.
Invited Speaker: Dr. Wardah Ahmed
Title Presentation: Institutionalising Embedded Implementation Research: Lessons from Pakistan
The third presentation examines how implementation science can move from classroom-based learning into practical application in immunisation programmes across Africa.
Invited Speaker: Dr. Abdu A. Adamu
Title Presentation: Moving Implementation Science from the Classroom into Immunisation Programmes in Africa
Together, these presentations span global experiences with embedded implementation research, lessons on institutionalisation from Pakistan, and practical application in Africa, highlighting how implementation science can become a routine component of immunisation programmes to improve their performance.
I would like to sincerely thank our speakers for taking the time to share their work. I hope this webinar stimulates discussion, new ideas, and potential collaborations.
Date: 11 November 2026
Time: 09:00 am CET
Webinar ID: 861 3442 3005
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet Our Chair
Centre for Equitable Immunisation and Pandemic Preparedness, Cape Town, South Africa;Professor Charles Shey Wiysonge is an internationally recognised physician-scientist, public health leader and implementation researcher with over 25 years’ experience in immunisation, infectious disease control, and evidence-informed policy. He is a Co-Director of the Centre for Equitable Immunisation and Pandemic Preparedness based in Cape Town and an Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Daniela C. Rodríguez
Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland;Dr. Rodríguez is a global health policy and systems professional with more than 20 years of experience designing and managing multi-country research, implementation science, and health systems strengthening initiatives across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. Her expertise spans primary health care, immunisation systems, implementation research, evidence-informed policymaking, political economy analysis, donor transition, health systems governance, and research capacity strengthening.
Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University;Dr. Ahmed is a public health professional with expertise in health systems research, working at the intersection of policy, practice, and community participation to improve the health and well-being of women, adolescents, and children. She led implementation research and participatory action research projects across Pakistan, providing continuous technical expertise in designing innovative and socio-culturally acceptable interventions for strengthening immunisation systems.
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Independent Global Health Consultant, Kano, Nigeria;Dr. Abdu Adamu is a medical doctor and implementation scientist with more than a decade of experience managing and delivering health programs in dynamic operational environments across Africa. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in implementation science from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Stellenbosch University. His expertise is in systems learning, using systems-thinking tools and implementation science theories, models, and frameworks to generate program-relevant evidence that guides the systematic adaptation and scale-up of innovative health products, policies, and practices. As a vaccination implementation researcher, he has led numerous primary and review studies, including rapid evidence syntheses and landscape analyses. He is the founder of Scalentric and has developed several prototype AI-enabled digital health platforms that apply implementation science to enhance vaccination in primary care settings. He strongly advocates institutionalizing implementation research as a routine function within health systems, especially immunization programs.
