Combining cluster surveys to estimate vaccination coverage: Experiences from Nigeria's multiple indicator cluster survey / national immunization coverage survey (MICS/NICS), 2016-17.
Dale A Rhoda, John Ndegwa Wagai, Bo Robert Beshanski-Pedersen, Yusuf Yusafari, Jenny Sequeira, Kyla Hayford, David W Brown, M Carolina Danovaro-Holliday, Fiona Braka, Daniel Ali, Faisal Shuaib, Bassey Okposen, Eric Nwaze, Isiaka Olarewaju, Adeyemi Adeniran, Modibo Kassogue, Denis Jobin, Tove K Ryman
Author Information
Dale A Rhoda: Biostat Global Consulting, Worthington, OH, USA. Electronic address: Dale.Rhoda@biostatglobal.com.
John Ndegwa Wagai: Independent Consultant, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: johnwagai@gmail.com.
Bo Robert Beshanski-Pedersen: DQ International Household Survey Consulting, Sofia, Bulgaria. Electronic address: bo.robert.pedersen@gmail.com.
Yusuf Yusafari: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: Yusuf.Yusufari@gatesfoundation.org.
Jenny Sequeira: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: Jenny.Sequeira@gatesfoundation.org.
Kyla Hayford: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: kylahayford@jhu.edu.
David W Brown: Brown Consulting Group International, Cornelius, NC, USA. Electronic address: david.brown@brownconsultingroup.org.
M Carolina Danovaro-Holliday: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: danovaroc@who.int.
Fiona Braka: World Health Organization, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: brakaf@who.int.
Daniel Ali: World Health Organization, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: alid@who.int.
Faisal Shuaib: National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: faisal.shuaib@nphcda.gov.ng.
Bassey Okposen: National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: bassey.okposen@nphcda.gov.ng.
Eric Nwaze: National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: nwazeoe@gmail.com.
Isiaka Olarewaju: National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: ialarewaju@yahoo.com.
Adeyemi Adeniran: National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: yemi_adeniran@yahoo.com.
Modibo Kassogue: UNICEF, Abuja, Nigeria. Electronic address: mkassogue@unicef.org.
Denis Jobin: UNICEF, NY, USA. Electronic address: djobin@unicef.org.
Tove K Ryman: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: Tove.Ryman@gatesfoundation.org.
In 2015 immunization stakeholders in Nigeria were proceeding with plans that would have fielded two nationally representative surveys to estimate vaccination coverage at the same time. Rather than duplicate efforts and generate either conflicting or redundant results, the stakeholders collaborated to conduct a combined Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) / National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) with MICS focusing on core sampling clusters and NICS adding supplementary clusters in 20 states, to improve precision of outcomes there. This paper describes the organizational and technical aspects of that collaboration, including details on design of the sample supplement and analysis of the pooled dataset. While complicated, the collaboration was successful; it yielded a unified set of relevant coverage estimates and fostered some novel sub-national results dissemination work.
