Lessons for strengthening childhood immunization in low- and middle-income countries from a successful public-private partnership in rural Nigeria.

Background: Immunization is a cost-effective public health strategy to reduce vaccine preventable disease, especially in childhood.

Methods: This paper reports the philosophy, service delivery, achievements and lessons learned from an immunization program in rural Nigeria privately financed via a corporate social responsibility initiative from GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals.

Results: The immunization program served the community for a 16-y period extending from 1998 until 2015, resulting in an increase in age-appropriate immunization coverage from 43% to 78%.

Five-year post vaccination efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine in rural Nigeria.

Hepatitis B (HB) is an important public health problem affecting millions of people globally and is endemic in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the HB vaccine five to seven years post-introduction within a rural community in Nigeria. The study design was cross-sectional.

Determinants of vaccination coverage in rural Nigeria.

Background: Childhood immunization is a cost effective public health strategy. Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) services have been provided in a rural Nigerian community (Sabongidda-Ora, Edo State) at no cost to the community since 1998 through a privately financed vaccination project (private public partnership). The objective of this survey was to assess vaccination coverage and its determinants in this rural community in Nigeria

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in September 2006, which included the use of interviewer-administered questionnaire to assess knowledge of mothers of children aged 12-23 months and vaccination coverage.

Outcome of surgical zipper technique.

In the period between March 2003 and February 2005, we carried out a randomized controlled prospective study to evaluate the outcome of the surgical zipper technique in closing 50 clean surgical skin wounds in our centers. The gender, age and wound distribution were similar for the surgical zipper study group and the conventional nylon suture control group. The outcome of scar was rated as good if the emerging scar was a thin, linear (< 2 mm wide) scar and bad if it was a broad, flat (> 2 mm wide) or a heap-up scar.