Social Marketing to Enhance Community Empowerment and Ownership for a Successful Implementation of the “Big Catch-Up” in Togo in 2025: A Mixed Method Study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted immunization services in Togo, resulting in 69,672 “zero-dose” and 24,846 “under-vaccinated” children by the end of 2023. This study assessed the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of a social marketing approach deployed during the 2025 Big Catch-Up initiative in Togo. Methods A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted in 17 priority health districts. The quantitative component compared vaccination coverage before and after the intervention using administrative data. Chi-squared test for linear trend compared district-level coverages, and statistical significance was set at p<0.05 for all tests. The qualitative component used in-depth interviews with key informants to collect data, followed by thematic content analysis. The intervention was grounded on the social marketing framework with 4 pillars (4Ps): Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Results Coverage increased dramatically: Penta1 from 1% to 64%, Penta3 from 1% to 45%, MR1 from 4% to 50%, and MR2 from 6% to 49% (all p<0.001). Togo ranked 3rd out of 24 African countries for Penta1 progress. The approach demonstrated high community acceptability, with Vaccination Monitoring Committees praised as being culturally appropriate. Key concerns included sustainability and resource constraints. Conclusion Social marketing proved to be effective for increased community adherence and immunization coverage improvement. However, long-term sustainability requires institutionalization of community structures with domestic funding and continued health system strengthening.