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Where are we at with Routine Immunization?

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Where are we at with Routine Immunization?

To: The Health Communication Network within The Communication Initiative - including the Market Place for International Development (To respond and contribute to this conversation simply reply by email or click the Read More link below and contribute on the platform)

Hi and much support for your very important work. I was reviewing Robert Steinglass's Routine Immunization: An Essential but Wobbly Platform. Just 3 quotes from a very interesting and important paper seem to sum up his assessment of the present state of routine immunization: "taken for granted"; "rhetorical attention" and "scant support"

I was somewhat taken aback by these comments. The ultimate test of course is under 5 mortality rates. A very significant % of under 5s deaths can be prevented with the full course of routine immunisations.

Based on the most recent UNICEF State of the World's Children data, 17 countries still have under 5 mortality rates in excess of 100 per 1,000 live deaths; and, 57 countries have an under 5 mortality rate in excess of 50 per 1,000 live births. These seem very high figures given the child health investments since 1990 (to take one baseline).

Steinglass summarises the situation as follows: "(Routine) coverage levels are poor in some countries and have stagnated in others”

  1. Does this analysis "ring true" for your situation?
  2. What overall strategies do you suggest to "move" this issue?
  3. What communication/media/social change specific strategies do you suggest as a contribution to greatly improved routine immunization rates and the consequent impact on Under 5 mortality?

To share your analysis and proposals simply reply by email or click the Read More link below and comment on the platform.

Thanks for sharing your experience and analysis - Warren

Warren Feek
Executive Director
The Communication Initiative
http://www.comminit.com/health/

Health Communication
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