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Objective

To improve awareness and knowledge of mothers regarding vaccine preventable diseases and the immunization status of children under five through health education messages by medical students, at Gulshane-Sikanderabad, a squatter settlement adjacent to Ziauddin Medical University, Karachi.

Methods

The undergraduate medical students' visit families in the squatter settlement. This study compared the effect of intervention by medical students on vaccination status of children under five in the intervention households versus those without intervention. A baseline study was done in 1998 and a follow-up study was done after four years to assess the differences in knowledge and practices of mothers regarding immunization.

Results

A total of 110 houses from block I and 207 houses from block V were selected. An increase of 22%(52% vs 30%) in block-I (p= 0.003) and 19%(32% vs 13%) increase in block V was seen in the utilization of PHC Center for vaccination (p= 0.001). Mothers' knowledge regarding the age when first vaccine is administered to the child, increased in the follow-up from 60% to 76.5%(p< 0.01) in block I and from 50% to 62% in block V. The immunization status increased significantly in block I from 46.5% to 75% after the intervention (p< 0.005), no significant difference could be seen in block V (p= 0.16). In the follow-up survey a significant difference was seen in the vaccination status between the two blocks (p= 0.001).

Conclusion

The health education messages significantly increased the vaccination status of children under 5 in the intervention area.