Social Work, Community Health, Bilingual

Position: Internship
Last date of application: 6th Feb 2026

Number of Position:
Two

Project Brief  Under Phase II, PHFI will contribute towards 30% reduction in zero dose children and ensure 50% conversion rate of vaccine hesitant families through strengthening of government system to identify and address vaccine avoidance behavior, building sustainable community platforms, integration of community platforms with state Communication Plans for Routine Immunization of government. Partnership will also support building capacity and systems of the department of health and family welfare.

to develop and implement evidence-based communication plans that deploy differential equity and gender focused strategies and strengthen immunization administrative review platforms (eg. Block, District and State Task Force) and technical review platforms (like Sector meetings of ASHAs and AAA meetings of Health Department). The interventions are designed to complement—rather than duplicate—ASHAs' efforts Under Phase I, significant progress was made toward achieving the Zero Dose (ZD) targets and converting vaccine hesitant families, in close collaboration with the implementing partner PHFI, district health department and state RI Cell of the Directorate of Family Welfare.

A wide range of activities were carried out to strengthen RI Microplanning, community linkages and measures to address vaccine hesitancy, including – identification of more than 5774 vaccine hesitant families, 2429 zero dose children,1316 potential at risk zero dose children. The partnership helped to convert 49% of zero dose and 84 % of vaccine hesitant children across 7 districts. Participatory tools like social mapping were used for identification of Zero dose children and vaccine hesitant families.

PHFI has contributed to the enhancement and improved implementation of 7 district and 42 block level Communication plans for institutionalization of holistic contextualized SBC planning and implementation and has played a crucial role in strengthening Vaccine Avoidance Behavior program the government through capacity building of 1538 frontline workers on communication skills, identification of vaccine hesitant families, line listing of vaccine hesitant families and engagement of influencers for conversion of vaccine hesitant families.

IP has also played crucial role in strengthening review mechanism at all level by participating in district immunization task force meetings, block and district level review meetings and state level coordination meetings with Directorate of Family Welfare. Under Phase II, following will be achieved Vaccine Avoidance Behavior Initiative of Dept. of Health and Family Welfare, will be strengthened from  block, district level and state level for systematic identification, listing and addressing vaccine hesitant and resistant families and link zero dose children  with age-appropriate immunization services to especially benefit vulnerable

Improve  village, block and district level funded communication plans in place, to systematically engage with high-risk communities and families  displaying vaccine avoidance behaviors

Strengthen database , resources and capacities to identify, sensitize and engage with local influencers and community group leaders  to address underlying reasons for low vaccine uptake. To achieve the above, PHFI will provide Technical support to block level officials to continue engagement with frontline workers, community groups and influencers from ASHA areas of first phase to sustain the gains of first phase intervention.

Systems will be established for capacity building of FLWs to mobilize and link the identified children with immunization services. This will include facilitating registration of ZD children in UWIN and inclusion in microplanning. PHFI will support health department to adopt participatory and bottom-up village, block and district communication plans that integrate gender-responsive and transformative approaches to empower caregivers and promote male engagement.

PHFI will demonstrate and handhold block program managers for RI on use of strategic SBCC interventions for zero dose children and ensuring…