Mauritania
GaneshAID supported Mauritania in zero-dose child identification and Gavi application development — a country where vast desert geography, nomadic populations and concentrated urban poverty create distinct immunisation equity challenges.
Key Immunisation and Health System Challenges
Mauritania spans some of the most sparsely populated territory in the world, with large areas of desert making health service delivery expensive and logistically complex. Nomadic and semi-nomadic communities are difficult to track and reach through routine immunisation services, while rapid urban growth in Nouakchott and other cities has created peri-urban informal settlements with their own equity gaps — populations missed by both urban and rural outreach strategies.
GaneshAID's technical assistance provided Mauritania's Ministry of Health and EPI with a structured analysis of where zero-dose children are concentrated and why, as the foundation for evidence-based Gavi funding and programme design.
Mauritania's immunisation equity challenge spans two contrasting typologies: nomadic populations in remote desert zones, and rapidly growing urban informal settlements — each requiring distinct outreach strategies.
GaneshAID Support in Mauritania
Zero-dose child identification and barrier analysis
Primary and secondary analysis responding to all key analytical questions from Gavi's Zero-Dose Analysis Cards ("identify" section). Additional qualitative data collection conducted where the country context required it. Analysis covered geographic coverage gaps, demand-side barriers, supply-side constraints and systemic factors — differentiated by community typology (conflict zones, rural, urban informal, mobile populations).
HCD ideation sessions for tailored solutions
Interactive ideation sessions facilitated in-person and/or remotely using Human Centred Design methodology. Sessions brought together Ministry of Health staff, EPI teams, NGOs, local CSOs and humanitarian actors to co-design new, tailored and sustainable solutions directly addressing identified barriers to reaching zero-dose children. Documentation of minutes, action items and follow-up assurance throughout.
Gavi funding application development
Development of a complete set of prioritised, sustainable programmatic interventions reflected in: (1) Theory of Change for Gavi investments; (2) the supporting country application narrative; and (3) the submitted work plan, budget and Monitoring & Learning Plan. All applications developed under Ministry of Health leadership with full EPI stakeholder engagement.
Operational Contributions and System Improvements
As part of an eight-country zero-dose programme, applications were developed successfully under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, with full engagement of EPI stakeholders including NGOs, local CSOs and humanitarian actors. The participatory approach built national analytical capacity beyond the immediate application cycle.
Ministry-led applications
All applications developed under Ministry of Health ownership — national propositions, not donor-driven products.
Differentiated barrier analysis
Zero-dose typologies and barriers identified by context: conflict zones, rural areas, urban settlements and mobile populations.
HCD-validated solutions
Tailored programmatic interventions co-designed with national stakeholders and validated through participatory ideation.
Partners and Ecosystem in Mauritania
Part of an eight-country zero-dose programme
This engagement is one of eight countries where GaneshAID provided participatory technical assistance for Gavi funding applications. The multi-country programme covered EAF, HSS, CCEOP and FPP funding streams, building a replicable model for equity-focused zero-dose programme design across fragile and low-resource contexts.