Background: Rotavirus (RV) induced diarrhea led to hospitalization and mortality prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine (RVV). The estimated RVV coverage was 86% in children less than one year of age in Pakistan.
Objectives: To determine the difference in the number of diarrheal episodes among children who received and who did not receive RVV, along with the parental and physician's perspectives on the barriers toward RV immunization in children aged less than 1 year in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A mixed-methods study design was conducted in three Primary Healthcare (PHC) private clinics located in different districts of Karachi, Pakistan. Data for RVV status and diarrheal episodes were collected, from medical records in June 2020 for children born between October 2019 to March 2020. Three In-depth Interviews (IDIs) with physicians and three focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers were conducted for information on awareness and approach towards diarrhea, knowledge, and acceptance of RVV, and barriers towards RV immunization.
Results: A total of 430 infants visited the three PHC centres coded as A (n = 144), B (n = 146), and C (n = 140). The mean age of infants was 2.6 ± 0.2 months, 49.5 % were males and 87 (20.2 %) were partial/not vaccinated for RV. Reported diarrheal episodes were 104 (24.2 %), and of these 76 (73.1 %) were partially or not vaccinated, and 83 (79.8 %) were stunted. Recorded diarrhea was significantly associated with partial/not vaccinated status (p < 0.001), stunting (p < 0.001), and by PHC centre location (p < 0.001). PHC-C had the lowest percentage of reported diarrhea, stunting, and non/partially vaccinated status. Qualitative study (FGDs) showed that mothers had lack of awareness and knowledge on the prevention of diarrhea by RVV. Physicians' IDIs pointed towards a lack of sufficient training on RVV.
Conclusion: Diarrheal episodes in infants were associated with partial or unvaccinated for RVV, low nutritional status, and areas of residence. Low levels of knowledge and awareness in caretakers and lack of training for RVV in PHC physicians were perceived as barriers in controlling diarrheal diseases.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.05.012 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Coverage and distributional benefit-cost of rotavirus vaccine in Uganda: an analysis of routine health facility aggregated data.
Cost Eff Resour Alloc
November 2024
International Vaccine Access Center, Baltimore, USA.
Introduction: Owing to the lack of local cost and clinical effectiveness data in sub-Saharan Africa, economic evaluations of the rotavirus vaccine are still limited in the region. In this study, we utilize different data sources, including aggregated routine health information system data to examine the net benefits of the rotavirus vaccine in Uganda. We also present ways in which health facility data can be used to assess subnational vaccination coverage as well as the effect of the vaccine on diarrhoea hospitalization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEconomic cost of a case of diarrhoea in Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A cost of illness study.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
October 2024
Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, United Kingdom.
Background: Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among children below five years, though the proportion of the burden occurring amongst those aged over 70 is increasing. The cost of treating and managing diarrhoea can place a burden on individuals, their households, and society in general. The cost can be high but is often undocumented, and many studies focus on children or hospitalised patients only.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacteristics and outcomes of children 2-23 months of age with prolonged diarrhoea: A secondary analysis of data from the 'Antibiotics for Children with Diarrhea' trial.
J Glob Health
October 2024
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Article Synopsis
- About 12% of diarrhoeal cases last 7-13 days, termed prolonged diarrhoea, which is linked to the majority of diarrhoeal deaths in young children.
- The study evaluated young children (2-23 months) with acute (<7 days) and prolonged (≥7-13 days) diarrhoea using data from a large trial conducted across seven countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa between 2017 and 2019.
- Findings showed that prolonged diarrhoea was associated with factors like younger age, larger family size, maternal illiteracy, moderate underweight, and the presence of certain pathogens, with significant implications for children's health outcomes at a 90-day follow-up.
The epidemiology and impact of persistent infections on childhood growth among children 0-24 months of age in resource-limited settings.
EClinicalMedicine
October 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the impact of persistent bacterial gastroenteritis in children, revealing that 45.5% of participants experienced at least one persistent episode during the research period.
- Persistent infections were defined as three or more consecutive months of positive test results, with affected children showing an average of 150 days of positive symptoms.
- While persistent infections did not significantly affect short-term weight gain, they were linked to a decrease in linear growth over nine months, indicating a serious health risk for young children.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!