Child Health Immunization Programs
Part 1:
Ask one question from your readings.
Which are the most effective programs and initiatives to promote child health through immunization?
The international society has established a variety of systems and plans to boost child health through immunization. The tremendous significance of these programs is the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). In 1974, the World Health Assembly introduced EPI to vaccinate children all over the world. The first phase, EPI, focused on six diseases: tuberculosis (TB), poliomyelitis (polio), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles.
At the time EPI was formed, only about 5% of the world’s children were vaccinated against these six diseases, according to (Skolnik & Riegelman, 2020). Four vaccines targeted them. EPI proposed vaccinating all eligible children from birth to 12 months against these diseases and giving pregnant women tetanus toxoid vaccinations.
(Skolnik & Riegelman, 2020) states that under EPI, individual countries were to establish and execute their national immunization programs, following guidelines established by WHO. Each state had to construct and sustain a reliable cold supply chain and transportation system to distribute vaccines to health amenities and vaccine stockpiles. In addition, states had to hire, train, and oversee healthcare workers, create outreach programs to educate the public about vaccines and why they are essential and create a system for recording which child has gotten which vaccine and when.
Skolnik, R. L., & Riegelman, R. K. (2020). Global health 101. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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Lorena Morales
Week 3 Discussion 2
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In the absence of additional income and health services, families may take the role of becoming familiar with what their children need and what stage of their life they need it to improve their health. In an article by SAGE Journals, engaging parents reached full partnership in identification, management, and dissemination of research to support researchers and patients to achieve successful partnership (Curran, 2018). According to Curran, “current evidence indicates that patient participation in health services research contributes to the creation of more accessible and acceptable services and improved relevance and acceptance of research findings (Curran, 2018). Because children are unable to communicate concerns or in most cases unable to complete surveys, parents need to be more involved in their children’s needs and wants in order to have their children’s voices be heard. Children need advocates, who better to be that than their parents.
Reference
Curran, J. A., Bishop, A., Chorney, J., MacEachern, L., & Mackay, R. (2018). Partnering with parents to advance child health research. Healthcare Management Forum, 31(2), 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0840470417744568
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Teresa Bingham
week 3 discussion 3
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According to the World Health Organization, Globally, infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, along with pre-term birth, birth asphyxia and trauma, and congenital anomalies remain the leading causes of death for children under five. Access to basic lifesaving interventions such as skilled delivery at birth, postnatal care, breastfeeding and adequate nutrition, vaccinations, and treatment for common childhood diseases can save many young lives. Malnourished children, particularly those with severe acute malnutrition, have a higher risk of death from common childhood illness such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and malaria. Nutrition-related factors contribute to about 45% of deaths in children under-5 years of age. (WHO 2020) I think the most important are the infectious diseases such as malaria and diarrhea because these come from things like unsanitary conditions and unfiltered water which could easily be fixed and save many children’s lives. Solving this problem on a large scale would be difficult but I believe it is doable. Providing these countries with ways to acces safe water with wells or water catchemnets would be a start because they are cost effective and would help them out so much. Providing them with more treated bednets to prevent infection of malaria would also help. Also helping them get more vaccinations for their children and providing them with the oral solutions to help with rehydration because this is very cheap and so effective at helping children suffering from diarrheal disease. To try and help solve these problems I would work with the World health Organization and UNICEF. These organizations already have so many things in place to help with these problems globally, so working with them would only better the chances for solving them.
Reference:
World Health Organization (2020) Children: Improving Survival And Well Being
Retrieved June 15 from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/children-reducing-mortality
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