How can human-centered design build a story-based video intervention that addresses vaccine hesitancy and bolsters vaccine confidence in the Philippines? A mixed method protocol for project SALUBONG

Introduction Since the onset of a dengue vaccine controversy in late 2017, vaccine confidence has plummeted in the Philippines, leading to measles and polio outbreaks in early 2019. This protocol outlines a human-centered design (HCD) approach to co-create and test an intervention that addresses vaccine hesitancy (VH) via narrative and empathy with and among families and healthcare workers.Methods and analysis ‘Salubong’ is a Filipino term that means to welcome someone back into one’s life, reinforcing notions of family ties and friendships. We apply this sentiment to vaccines. Following the phases of HCD, guided by a theoretical framework, and drawing from locally held understandings of faith and acceptance, we will conduct in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) in rural and urban Filipino communities that witnessed dramatic increases in measles cases in recent years. During qualitative engagements with caretakers, providers, and policymakers, we will collect narratives about family and community perceptions of childhood vaccinations, public health systems and opportunities to restore faith. IDIs and FGDs will continuously inform the development of (and delivery mechanisms for) story-based interventions. Once developed, we will test our co-created interventions among 800 caretakers and administer a VH questionnaire prior to and immediately following the intervention encounter. We will use the feedback gained through the survey and Kano-style questionnaires to further refine the intervention. Considering the data collection challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have developed workarounds to conduct data collection primarily online. We will use systematic online debriefings to facilitate comprehensive participation of the full research team.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been granted by the Institutional Review Board of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (number 2019–44) and Ethical Commission of Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine (S-833/2019). Study findings will be disseminated in scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals

“Respect my opinion and I'll respect yours!”: Exploring the challenges, concerns, and informational needs of vaccine‐hesitant caregivers and pregnant women in the Philippines

Abstract Background Despite the instrumental role of vaccines, public confidence is declining, and anti‐vaccine movements have increased worldwide. With the goal of informing policy decisions and the development of interventions, we explore the concerns and challenges related to vaccine uptake (of childhood, maternal, and COVID‐19 vaccines) among parents or caregivers of under‐two children and pregnant women in urban and rural communities in the Philippines. Methods Between May and June 2022, we conducted combined in‐person and online interviews with purposively selected caregivers and pregnant women in the Calabarzon region (Naic, Cavite and Tanay, Rizal), and National Capital Region (Pasay and Muntinlupa Cities), Philippines. A total of 43 interviews were completed, audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology. Results Our results, grounded on the social ecological model, underlined the interplays of contextual or logistical challenges on vaccine uptake, respondents’ overarching concerns about vaccines, and their informational needs that affected their vaccine decision‐making. Respondents described that the long‐established maternal and childhood vaccines no longer represent a high‐risk concern but highlighted their fears and hesitancy particularly to newer vaccines. Conclusion Our findings underscore the multilayered challenges in vaccine decision‐making among caregivers and pregnant women. The volatility of vaccine decision‐making necessitates rethinking the current immunization process, recalibrating the health workforce, and reinvigorating the health information delivery channels for more inclusive and responsive health care

Determining the impact of a school-based health education package for prevention of intestinal worm infections in the Philippines: protocol for a cluster randomized intervention trial

Repeated mass drug administration (MDA) of antihelminthics to at-risk populations is still the main strategy for the control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. However, MDA, as a stand-alone intervention, does not prevent reinfection. Accordingly, complementary measures to prevent STH reinfection, such as health education and improved sanitation, as part of an integrated control approach, are required to augment the effectiveness of MDA for optimal efficiency and sustainability.The aim of this study is to determine the impact and generalizability of a school-based health education package entitled The Magic Glasses for STH prevention in the Philippines.We conducted a cluster randomized controlled intervention trial, involving 2020 schoolchildren aged 9-10 years, in 40 schools in Laguna Province, Philippines, to evaluate the impact of the school-based health education package for the prevention of STHs. The trial was conducted over the course of 1 year (June 2016 to July 2017). A total of 20 schools were randomly assigned to the intervention arm, in which The Magic Glasses Philippines health education package was delivered with the standard health education activities endorsed by the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Education (DepEd). The other 20 schools comprised the control arm of the study, where the DOH/DepEd's standard health education activities were done. At baseline, parasitological assessments and a knowledge, attitude, and practice survey were carried out in all schools. In addition, height, weight, and hemoglobin levels were obtained from each child (after parental consent), and their school attendance and academic performance in English and mathematics were accessed from the school records. The baseline and 2 follow-up surveys were completed using the same study measurements and quality-control assessments.Key results from this cluster randomized intervention trial will shed light on the impact that The Magic Glasses health education package will have against STH infections in schoolchildren in the province of Laguna, located on the Island of Luzon, in the Calabarzon Region of the Philippines.The results of the trial will be used to assess the generalizability of the impact of The Magic Glasses health education package in different epidemiological and cultural settings, providing evidence for translation of this health education package into public health policy and practice in the Asian region and beyond.Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number ACTRN12616000508471; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368849.DERR1-10.2196/18419

"The Magic Glasses Philippines": a cluster randomised controlled trial of a health education package for the prevention of intestinal worm infections in schoolchildren

Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) cause substantial disease and disability globally. Health education has proven complementary to school-based drug administration programs for STH control. We determined the generalizability of the impact of "The Magic Glasses" health education package for STH prevention in schoolchildren in Laguna province, the Philippines, having previously shown its positive impact in China. Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomised controlled trial, in schoolchildren, aged 9-10 years, across 40 schools over one year. Schools were randomly assigned either to the "Magic Glasses Philippines" health education intervention package (consisting of a cartoon video, classroom discussions, drawing and essay competition) complementing the standard health education activities of the Philippines Departments of Health and Education, or to a control group, which involved only the standard health education activities. The primary trial outcomes were the proportion of STH infected schoolchildren and their knowledge, attitude and behaviour of STH assessed in both groups at baseline and through two follow-up surveys undertaken immediately prior to the semi-annual national mass administration of albendazole. The outcomes between the study arms were compared using generalized estimating equation models, accounting for clustering at the school level. The trial is registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number: ACTRN12616000508471 Findings: At follow-up assessments, the mean knowledge and behaviour scores in the intervention group were, respectively, 5·3 (95% confidence interval [CI]:4·2single bond6·5; p=<0.001) and 1·1 (95% CI: 0·4single bond1·7; p=0.002) percentage points higher than the control group. There was no overall effect on helminth infections (any STH; adjusted odds ratio [aOR]:1·0; 95% CI: 0·8single bond1·3; p=0·856), Ascaris lumbricoides; aOR:1·0; 95% CI: 0·7single bond1·6; p=0·894, or Trichuris trichiura; aOR:1·7; 95% CI: 0·9single bond1·6; p=0·315) but sub-group analysis showed a 60% reduction in the odds of any STH infection resulting from the "Magic Glasses" intervention in schools with a baseline prevalence ≤15% (aOR: 0·4; 95% CI: 0·2single bond0·7; p=0·001). Interpretation: The health-education package demonstrated a modest but statistically significant impact on the students' overall STH knowledge and changes in their behaviour but was only effective in preventing STH infections in intervention schools where the baseline prevalence was ≤15%. Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia, and the UBS-Optimus Foundation, Switzerland