[Use of SMS to ask mothers to come to vaccination sessions in Bobo-Dioulasso]. / Recours aux SMS pour convoquer les mères aux séances de vaccination à Bobo-Dioulasso.

ABSTRACT

Even though the expanded programme for immunization (EPI) coverage at national level is high in Burkina (95% of fully vaccinated children), mothers of children following EPI in Health Centres (HC) would benefit from being reminded of EPI sessions by sending SMS (short message service) to their own mobile phone, or through mobile phone of a family member living in the same compound. SMS could be sent through Computerized Immunization Registers (CIR), hosted by HC computers. 210 mothers of children aged 0 to 5 years were chosen at random and questioned if they owned a mobile phone, if they could read a SMS, or, if not, what language they would understand if a voice SMS was sent. They were also asked if a family member could receive, read and transmit the message, if mothers did not own a mobile phone. They were also asked if they are willing to give their telephone number to HC. 94% of mothers could be reached through written or voice SMS, sent to their own or family member's mobile phone. 100% of mothers would be willing to give their telephone number to their HC to improve their ability to come at the right time for vaccination sessions. SMS reminders, delivered through CIR, should improve EPI attendance and management of sessions in HC, especially in epidemic context.