Using the polio programme to deliver primary health care in Nigeria: implementation research.
Bull World Health Organ
; 97(1): 24-32, 2019 01 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30618462
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To evaluate a project that integrated essential primary health-care services into the oral polio vaccine programme in hard-to-reach, underserved communities in northern Nigeria.Methods:
In 2013, Nigeria's polio emergency operation centre adopted a new approach to rapidly raise polio immunity and reduce newborn, child and maternal morbidity and mortality. We identified, trained and equipped eighty-four mobile health teams to provide free vaccination and primary-care services in 3176 hard-to-reach settlements. We conducted cross-sectional surveys of women of childbearing age in households with children younger than 5 years, in 317 randomly selected settlements, pre- and post-intervention (March 2014 and November 2015, respectively).Findings:
From June 2014 to September 2015 mobile health teams delivered 2 979 408 doses of oral polio vaccine and dewormed 1 562 640 children younger than 5 years old; performed 676 678 antenatal consultations and treated 1 682 671 illnesses in women and children, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. The baseline survey found that 758 (19.6%) of 3872 children younger than 5 years had routine immunization cards and 690/3872 (17.8%) were fully immunized for their age. The endline survey found 1757/3575 children (49.1%) with routine immunization cards and 1750 (49.0%) fully immunized. Children vaccinated with 3 or more doses of oral polio vaccine increased from 2133 (55.1%) to 2666 (74.6%). Households' use of mobile health services in the previous 6 months increased from 509/1472 (34.6%) to 2060/2426(84.9%).Conclusion:
Integrating routine primary-care services into polio eradication activities in Nigeria resulted in increased coverage for supplemental oral polio vaccine doses and essential maternal, newborn and child health interventions.
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Poliomyelitis
/
Primary Health Care
/
Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral
/
Immunization Programs
/
Health Services Accessibility
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Observational_studies
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Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Sysrev_observational_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
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Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
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Infant
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Middle aged
/
Newborn
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Bull World Health Organ
Year:
2019
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Nigeria