Professional Evaluation of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation Micro-Planning in Adamawa State

EPI micro-planning at the LGA and ward level determines the efficiency of immunisation service delivery and outreach planning, and its quality in conflict-affected north-eastern states significantly shapes immunisation coverage outcomes. This study professionally evaluated EPI micro-planning processes and their relationship with immunisation coverage in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria. A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted across eight LGAs in Yola North, Numan, and Song Districts. EPI micro-plans were reviewed against NPHCDA micro-planning quality standards for a three-year period (2021 to 2023). Structured interviews were conducted with 24 LGA immunisation officers and eight ward focal persons. Micro-plan quality was assessed across seven domains: population enumeration accuracy, session site completeness, vaccine and cold chain planning, human resource allocation, transport planning, monitoring plan adequacy, and community engagement strategy. EPI coverage data from DHIS2 were correlated with micro-plan quality scores. Results showed that only 37.5 percent of reviewed micro-plans met acceptable quality standards across all seven domains. Population enumeration was the weakest domain, adequate in only 25.0 percent of plans. Coverage correlation analysis showed a significant positive association between micro-plan quality scores and ward-level immunisation coverage (r = 0.62; p < 0.001). The study recommends mandatory micro-plan quality review by state PHC development agencies, capacity-building training for LGA immunisation officers, and community data verification processes to improve micro-plan accuracy in Adamawa State. Keywords: EPI micro-planning, immunisation coverage, Adamawa State, expanded programme on immunisation, North East Nigeria