Rotavirus

Incidence of Diarrhea due to Rota Virus in Pakistan is estimated to be around 24% according to WHO data. This deadly disease can be prevented by administrating a dose of Rotavirus vaccine in the first 12 months of age. These vaccines can prevent almost 91% of sickness related to rotavirus infections. Evidence has proven that the rotavirus vaccine is a highly effective, efficacious and efficient in preventing infective diarrhea due to Rotavirus.

The government of Pakistan included free Rotavirus vaccine in EPI in 2017 to decrease morbidity, diminish mortality, and shrink the number of hospitalizations due to Rotavirus. However, a comprehensive approach was required to make it known to the public. For this purpose, we coordinated with the Primary and Secondary Health care department to design a media strategy to disseminate the message to all segments of society.

Our first approach was to reach the health professionals and health workers and guide them about administrating the dose of Rotavirus vaccine as part of vaccination courses.

We trained lady health workers and vaccinators to effectively reach out to the parents and convince them for the routine vaccination of their kids. They were guided to register all the kids under 5 years of age to ensure immunization coverage for the rotavirus.

In rural areas, the literacy rate is much lower than the urban metros. Therefore, to reach out to these people, we coordinated with the community motivators and convinced them to endorse the immunization message. The influential people like headmasters, teachers, Panchayat leaders, Nambardars and Waderas were approached and encouraged to validate the rotavirus vaccination message. Community meetings and gathering were used to maximize awareness about the prevention of diarrhea through vaccination courses.

The response from the illiterate segment of society about Rotavirus vaccination courses was not very encouraging. Parents are more frightened about the perceived harm from a vaccine than the risk of the disease itself. Therefore awareness documentaries about Rotavirus vaccination were aired on national and private TV channels.

Team of Time and Space Media coordinated with public sector to visit different areas and organize vaccination camps to ensure most children could get the vaccination course. In Urban metros, streamers, brochures, billboards and banners were displayed as part of the awareness approach.

The campaign successfully generated awareness as well as addressed concerns of parents regarding the implications of vaccination courses.

Mortality rate in children of Pakistan is around single death per minute due to diarrhea.

 

On average, globally rotavirus causes around 440,000 deaths per year, but according to another report this number is much higher and goes to around 800,000 mortalities per annum in infants and young children