Journal article
Polio eradication and health systems in Karachi: Vaccine refusals in context
Drawing on research conducted in early 2012, this study focuses on factors affecting parental acceptance of oral polio vaccine (OPV), and health worker motivation to deliver it, in SITE Town, an area of the mega-city of Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan that in recent years has harboured wild poliovirus (WPV). In conducting participant observation, interviews, and a document review, the researchers\' aim was not to evaluate the effectiveness of the polio programme but, rather, to qualitatively describe some challenges workers faced and explore why some parents refused polio vaccine. In short, in SITE, vaccine acceptance and worker motivation were shaped by the discrepancy in funding and attention for polio eradication campaigns as compared with routine services. Hence, the researchers propose short-term improvements to routine immunisation (RI) and sanitation in key polio-endemic areas, coupled with a long-term focus on sustainable improvements to RI and broader health services.
Authors
Languages
- English
Publication year
2015
Journal
Global Health Communication
Volume
1
Type
Journal article
Categories
- Service delivery
Diseases
- Polio
Countries
- Pakistan
Tags
- Coverage monitoring
- Demand
- Performance monitoring
WHO Regions
- Eastern Mediterranean Region
