A Cross Sectional Study On The Coverage Of Immunization In The Slums Of Western Uttar Pradesh, India

摘要

Context: A growing focus on the growing urban slums and the worsening health problems among the slum dwellers. No current information is available on the status of immunization coverage in the slums of Meerut.Aims: To determine the immunization coverage in the slums of Meerut, and to study the awareness and utilization of the immunization services.Settings and Design: The entire slums of Urban Meerut, a cross-sectional studyMethods and Material: By the WHO 30 cluster sampling technique, 30 slums were selected from the list of all the slums in Meerut. 216 mothers with children in the age group of 12-23 months were selected, with 7 mothers from each slum. Interviews were held with the selected mothers by using a pretested questionnaire. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics Results: More than half of the children (51.9%) were un-immunized. One third of the mothers (34.7%) had no idea about the place of immunization. Among the children who were either partially or fully immunized, 77.9% had received immunization from the government health facility. The most common reason for partial or no immunization was the lack of information (77.2%). The dropout rate for complete immunization was found to be 32.7%Conclusions: The immunization coverage was very poor and the most common reason was the lack of information about the need of immunization, which indicates the importance of Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities in the slums.