ENHANCING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE EXPANDED PROGRAM OF IMMUNIZATION (EPI) IN BALOCHISTAN: A VITAL APPROACH TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE
Main Article Content
Abstract
Community engagement plays a pivotal role in the success of healthcare programs, particularly in areas with unique challenges such as Balochistan, Pakistan. This study explores the significance of community engagement within the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) in Balochistan, shedding light on its potential to improve immunization rates and overall healthcare outcomes. Balochistan, the largest and most remote province in Pakistan, faces numerous obstacles to healthcare accessibility, including rugged terrain, limited infrastructure, and cultural diversity. In this context, effective community engagement strategies are essential to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery. The EPI, a national initiative to provide essential vaccines to children, can greatly benefit from strengthened community involvement. This study reviews existing literature and ongoing initiatives related to community engagement in the EPI in Balochistan. It highlights the positive impact of community-based interventions, such as awareness campaigns, local health committees, and culturally sensitive approaches, in increasing vaccination coverage and reducing vaccine hesitancy. Furthermore, the study discusses challenges and potential barriers to effective community engagement in Balochistan, such as low literacy rates, gender disparities, and cultural norms. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring engagement strategies to address these specific challenges and the need for capacity building among healthcare workers to facilitate community participation. In conclusion, community engagement is an indispensable component of the EPI in Balochistan, with the potential to significantly improve immunization rates and healthcare outcomes. To achieve this, a multifaceted approach that accounts for the province's unique challenges and cultural diversity is essential. Strengthening community engagement in the EPI will not only enhance vaccination coverage but also contribute to the overall health and well-being of the Balochistan population.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Adegoke, O. J., Mungure, E., Osadebe, L. U., Adeoye, O. B., Aduloju, M., Makinde, I., . . . MacNeil, A. (2021). Targeted Short Message Service-Based Intervention to Improve Routine Immunization Reporting in Bauchi State, Nigeria, 2016. Pan Afr Med J, 40(Suppl 1), 11. doi:10.11604/pamj.supp.2021.40.1.15811
Baloch, M. S., S, Bashir, H. Z., & Aftab Aslam, Muneera (2023). Countering Violent Extremism In Balochistan: A Case Of Strategic Communication. Russian Law Journal, 11(8s), 343-354.
Balgovind, P., & Mohammadnezhad, M. (2022). Perceptions of Healthcare Workers (HCWs) towards childhood immunization and immunization services in Fiji: a qualitative study. BMC Pediatr, 22(1), 610. doi:10.1186/s12887-022-03665-9
Bashir, S. (2016). The role of NGOs in community development in Balochistan. Pakistan Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 4(1), 123-135.
Bashir, S., Sadiq, W., Zafar, H., Murtaza, A., & Naseer, P. (2022). The Role And Analysis Of Quality Education On The Perspective Of Socio-Economic Development Of Balochistan Province Of Pakistan. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(10).
Bashir, S., Shah, N. A., Karim, H., Farooq, K., & Ahmed, Z. N. (2021). THE PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS REGARDING THE WAYS OFCOMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL AT DISTRICT KECH BALOCHISTAN. Humanities & Social Sciences ReviewseISSN: 2395-6518, Vol 9, No 3, 2021, pp 1690-1698https. doi. org/10.18510/hssr, 93171.
Chua, B. Y., Sekiya, T., Koutsakos, M., Nomura, N., Rowntree, L. C., Nguyen, T. H. O., . . . Kida, H. (2022). Immunization with inactivated whole virus particle influenza virus vaccines improves the humoral response landscape in cynomolgus macaques. PLoS Pathog, 18(10), e1010891. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1010891
Collins, J. P., Ryan, E. T., Wong, K. K., Daley, M. F., Ratner, A. J., Appiah, G. D., . . . Gutelius, B. J. (2022). Cholera Vaccine: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, 2022. MMWR Recomm Rep, 71(2), 1-8. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7102a1
Curtis, M., Kanis, J., Wagers, B., Coffee, R. L., Jr., Sarmiento, E., Grout, S., . . . Grout, R. (2022). Immunization Status and the Management of Febrile Children in the Pediatric Emergency Department: What Are We Doing? Pediatr Emerg Care. doi:10.1097/PEC.0000000000002864
Curtti, T., Agrimbau Vazquez, J., Yori, S., Kantarovsky, A., Torolla, J., Di Santo, M., . . . Parra, A. (2022). Immunization with messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19 in adolescents with a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome: a case series. Arch Argent Pediatr, e202202757. doi:10.5546/aap.2022-02757.eng
Dalbis, H., Etner, J., & Thuilliez, J. (2022). Vaccination under pessimistic expectations in clinical trials and immunization campaigns. J Public Econ Theory. doi:10.1111/jpet.12617
Galvez, N. M. S., Pacheco, G. A., Schultz, B. M., Melo-Gonzalez, F., Soto, J. A., Duarte, L. F., . . . Kalergis, A. M. (2022). Differences in the immune response elicited by two immunization schedules with an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a randomized phase 3 clinical trial. Elife, 11. doi:10.7554/eLife.81477
Kissi, J., Owusu-Marfo, J., Osei, E., Dzamvivie, K., Akorfa Anku, V., & Naa Lamiokor Lamptey, J. (2022). Effects of coronavirus pandemic on expanded program on immunization in weija gbawe municipality (Accra-Ghana). Hum Vaccin Immunother, 2129830. doi:10.1080/21645515.2022.2129830
Liu, S., Yang, G., Li, M., Sun, F., Li, Y., Wang, X., . . . Yang, P. (2022). Transcutaneous immunization via dissolving microneedles protects mice from lethal influenza H7N9 virus challenge. Vaccine. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.09.008
Liu, Z., Li, M., Hutton, D. W., Wagner, A. L., Yao, Y., Zhu, W., . . . Wang, W. (2022). Impact of the national hepatitis B immunization program in China: a modeling study. Infect Dis Poverty, 11(1), 106. doi:10.1186/s40249-022-01032-5
Mishra, R., Jha, R., Mishra, B., & Kim, Y. S. (2022). Maternal immunization against myostatin suppresses post-hatch chicken growth. PLoS One, 17(10), e0275753. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0275753
Miyaji, K. T., Itto, L. Y. U., Jacintho, L. C., Sales, A. C. R., Hiratsuka, M., Leonel, F. C., . . . Sartori, A. M. C. (2022). Adverse events following immunization of elderly with COVID-19 inactivated virus vaccine (CoronaVac) in Southeastern Brazil: an active surveillance study. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, 64, e56. doi:10.1590/S1678-9946202264056
Murphy, D. M., Cox, D. J., Connolly, S. A., Breen, E. P., Brugman, A. A., Phelan, J. J., . . . Basdeo, S. A. (2022). Trained immunity is induced in humans after immunization with an adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccine. J Clin Invest. doi:10.1172/JCI162581
Sheahan, K. L., Speizer, I., Curtis, S., Weinberger, M., Paul, J., & Bennett, A. V. (2022). Influence of family planning and immunization services integration on contraceptive use and family planning information and knowledge among clients: A cross-sectional analysis in urban Nigeria. Front Glob Womens Health, 3, 859832. doi:10.3389/fgwh.2022.859832
Silva, P. H., Vazquez, Y., Campusano, C., Retamal-Diaz, A., Lay, M. K., Munoz, C. A., . . . Bueno, S. M. (2022). Non-capsular based immunization approaches to prevent Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 12, 949469. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2022.949469
Stehlin, F., Tommasini, F., Monzambani-Banderet, V., Girard, C., Yerly, D., Ribi, C., & Muller, Y. D. (2022). Graded-dosing immunization in adults at risk for immediate-type reactions to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Allergol Int. doi:10.1016/j.alit.2022.10.001
Sunder, A., Varghese, B., Taha, O., Keshta, M. S., Khalid Bughamar, A., Nadir Abelhamid Mohamed, E., . . . Darwish, B. (2022). Maternal COVID-19 Disease and COVID-19 Immunization. Cureus, 14(8), e28328. doi:10.7759/cureus.28328
Takeuchi, I., Hidaka, Y., Oshizaka, T., Takei, C., Mori, K., Sugibayashi, K., & Makino, K. (2022). Chitosan-coated PLGA nanoparticles for transcutaneous immunization: Skin distribution in lysozyme-sensitized mice. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 220, 112916. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112916
Yang, L., Chen, Y., Li, S., Zhou, Y., Zhang, Y., Pei, R., . . . Wang, Y. (2022). Immunization of mice with vaccinia virus Tiantan strain yields antibodies cross-reactive with protective antigens of monkeypox virus. Virol Sin. doi:10.1016/j.virs.2022.10.004
Waseem Sadiq, D. S. B., Zafar, H., Zarar, R., TahiraNaudani, M., & Ali, T. (2022). Exploring the perceived concerns of people of Balochstan province related to Pakistan’s signature project, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Central European Management Journal, 30(3), 214-222.