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Factors associated with pentavalent vaccine coverage among 12-23-month-old children in Afghanistan: A cross-sectional
Muhammad Kamel Frozanfar1,2, Nobuyuki Hamajima1, Said Hafizullah Fayaz1,3
1Department of Healthcare Administration, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
Insights
Penta3 vaccine coverage in Afghanistan reached 82.3% for children aged 12-23 months. Factors like child
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Vaccinology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Pentavalent vaccine (Penta3) is crucial for protecting young children against severe diseases.
- Understanding factors influencing Penta3 vaccine coverage is vital for improving child health outcomes in Afghanistan.
- Previous studies highlight socioeconomic and access-related barriers to childhood immunization in low-resource settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key factors associated with the uptake of the third dose of pentavalent vaccine (Penta3) among children aged 12-23 months in Afghanistan.
- To inform targeted interventions for enhancing Penta3 vaccination coverage.
- To contribute evidence for strengthening immunization programs in Afghanistan.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Afghanistan Health Survey 2018, including 3,040 children aged 12-23 months.
- Employed multivariable logistic regression analysis (forward and backward selection) to identify significant factors.
- Analyzed child, household, head of household, and caregiver characteristics.
Main Results:
- Penta3 coverage was 82.3% among children aged 12-23 months.
- Significant factors associated with higher Penta3 coverage included older child age (18-23 months), no recent diarrhea, no bipedal edema, vitamin A supplementation, fewer children under five in the household (1-2), proximity to health facilities (≤2 hours walk), and household access to radio and TV.
- Educated and non-smoking household heads, along with maternal literacy, were also positively associated with Penta3 coverage.
Conclusions:
- While Penta3 coverage has improved, it remains below the target, necessitating further efforts.
- Promoting primary education, utilizing media (TV, radio) for health information dissemination, and expanding mobile outreach services are recommended.
- Establishing new health facilities is crucial to enhance access to essential health services for all Afghan populations.
Introduction:
This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the coverage of the third dose of pentavalent vaccine (Penta3) among children aged 12-23 months in Afghanistan.
Methods:
The data of 3,040 children aged 12-23 months were taken from the Afghanistan Health Survey 2018, including characteristics of the children and their households, household heads, and mothers/primary care givers. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a logistic model. Multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis with forward-selection (Model 1) and backward-selection (Model 2) was performed using variables that showed significant differences by bivariate analysis.
Results:
The coverage of Penta3 among 12-23-month-old children was 82.3%. Factors associated with Penta3 coverage in the two models of multivariable analysis were 18-23 months old compared to 12-17 months old; having no diarrhea in the last two weeks compared to having diarrhea; no bipedal edema compared to having edema; taking vitamin A supplement; 1-2 children under five years in a household compared to three or more; distance from residence to the nearest health facility ≤2 hours on foot; having a radio; having a TV; educated heads of households; non-smoking of heads of households; and literacy of mothers/primary caregivers.
Conclusions:
Penta3 coverage among 12-23-month-old children improved but was still lower than the target. Primary education should be provided to all children throughout the country. TV and radio are useful tools for providing health information. Mobile outreach programs and the establishment of new health facilities should be promoted to improve access to health service for all people in Afghanistan.
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