Educational intervention to increase childhood immunization uptake in rural Pakistan

Childhood immunization uptake in rural Pakistan is low, due mostly to myths and misunderstanding regarding its importance.

To determine the effect of an educational intervention on childhood immunization uptake for infants aged ≤ 16 weeks in 5 rural districts of Sindh Province, Pakistan.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted from September 2023 to January 2024 among parents of 1200 children aged 3-5 weeks enrolled in intervention and control villages. Education campaigns that included face-to-face sessions and distribution of print and video information materials were conducted with families of children in the intervention group. Multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the effect of the intervention on immunization uptake.

After the initial immunization at birth, 19.8% of infants in the intervention villages and 24.8% in the control villages had not completed their Expanded Programme on Immunization vaccinations at age 16 weeks. Children in the intervention villages were significantly more likely to have been completely vaccinated at 14 weeks. Age, gender, household monthly income, place of birth, maternal education, and distance from immunization facility were not significantly associated with uptake.

Educational interventions, including use of social media, can help increase childhood immunization uptake in rural areas of developing countries like Pakistan.