ABSTRACT
This study is attempted to provide a general
information and knowledge about the problems associated with immunization among
illiterate mother in Nigeria from the findings, it was observed that ignorance
and inability of mothers to get their child immunized lead to death of children
so government area advised to explain the main importance of immunization to
mothers in order to increase the rate of immunization.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The immunization of a new born child is a very important way of preventing
illness considering the way common diseases that claimed the life of children.
According to Oichl and Datrymple (2009) when more than 50% of a community
population are immunized against a disease, the possibility of epidemic is
removed. Supporting this view, Ogbuibe (2005) pointed out that the entry point
to be fill introduction of all elements of primary health care system,
immunization against diseases in one of the fairly they elements of the child’s
survival and development. The national programme of immunization was for
certain target groups of the population mainly children within the large group
of 0-2 years and pregnant mothers or women. It is target against the six deadly
and childhood diseases. These diseases are tuberculosis, measles,
poliomyelitis, tetanus, chicken pox and whooping cough. The high rate of
mortality from disease preventable by immunization underscores the need for
immunization was the most effective programme to reduce these diseases for
which satisfactory immunization procedures have been established.
When
a disease is peculiar to certain area, health authorities may recommend
immunization of all persons in that area particularly those who are likely to
be exposed to it. To buttress this view, Anderson (2000) suggested that mass
immunization against typhoid fever is not advocated but if an epidemic occurs
in a community, health authorities may implore all susceptible persons to be
immunized. The success of any immunization programme depends largely on the
target population. It is pertinent to note that mothers are the persons in the
issues of the children rearing pattern in our society whereby the mothers
rather than fathers are the home keepers and know better about their children’s
immunization status. Therefore, all children should be protected. All mothers
should understand the importance of immunization to ensure this, Sohem (2005)
recommended the vaccination of all new born children should be registered at
all health clinics for routine immunization. This entails that they should
undergo all stages of immunization.
According
to the oxford advanced learners dictionary (2004), immunization is the process
of protecting an individual or animal from a disease especially by giving them
an injection or a vaccine. Immunization is also defined as a process by which
human beings protect themselves from, or against deadly diseases such as
poliomyelitis, measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, vaccination
is also another name for immunizing living things against deadly diseases.
Immunization is done to make the body resist invasion of pathogenic microbes
like bacteria, protozoa and virus. In immunization, a small quantity of a dead
parasitic organism is injected into the body of a healthy person (somebody that
is free from that parasite organism), the body recognized the antigen as
foreign response by realizing specialized protein called antibodies. These
antibodies have specific protective properties and the body become immune
against the disease that are caused by micro-organisms. Immunization can be
active, positive, natural, or acquired.
Immunization is the act of protecting someone against a disease by the intake
of inoculation of vaccine or other protective agents which stimulate natural
body resistance. It could be active or passive. Immunization is the active
which involves administering agents which stimulates the receivers’ own
immunological mechanism who responds by producing reactions in his resistance
to infect by the organisms from which the antigen was derived or obtained. This
takes several weeks to produce effective protection hence, it has a
prophylactic value but last forever. On the other hand, immunization is said to
be passive by the giving of already made anti-bodies formed by another lost in
response to natural injection. This has immediate protective and therapeutic
value but last for a short period.
Parent especially the mothers in question do not get their children immunized.
The superstition belief or idea that disease are caused by witches and wizards
are strongly rooted in their mind, some believes that diseases are caused by
evil spirit and the only way out for them to avoid it is by offering sacrifice
and some believe that it is the sin that the parents have committed towards the
gods that make the child to be like that and there is no solution to the
sickness of the child.
Some parent know where and how to obtain it but do not take their children to
the clinic for immunization while others that made attempts to take their
children to the clinic for immunization may start and will not complete the
normal dose they are supposed to give to that child. In a particular health
center, i.e. Ikpoba Okha Health center in Edo State, between January 2007 to
December 2010, fifty six thousand six hundred and forty two (56,642) children
were registered for different types of immunization. Out of these only thirty
four thousand six hundred and twenty two (34, 622) children completed their
immunization, the remaining twenty two thousand and twenty (22,020) fall to
complete their immunization. Some mothers later brought their children to
complete their immunization after a long time. When they asked them why they
did not bring their children ever since, the most population reason they gave
was that, they were not chanced due to their jobs. They devoted much time to
their jobs e.g. trading, government workers etc others said they came several
times but in most occasions, the nurses asked them to go home that the health
of their babies was poor.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The decision to carry out the study was due to the problem associated with
immunization of children among the illiterate mothers in Nigeria. In the past,
many children died before the age of 5 or before the school age due to
communicable diseases e.g. tuberculosis, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, whooping
cough, measles, tetanus etc. they did not know that these disease could be
prevented. These communicable disease were discovered by scientific researcher,
clinics are established where the disease can be prevented by treatment. Many
people are not still making use of the clinic and health center, perhaps due to
ignorance, inability of mothers to get the facilities or non-availability of
vaccine or lack of understanding.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research work is an attempt to study the attitude of mothers towards
immunization most especially among illiterate mothers in Nigeria. The purpose
of this study is to:
i) To
find out why mothers refused to bring their children for immunization
ii) To
know why some mothers started but refuse to complete the normal schedule
iii) To
know or find out how many children register in the clinic and health center for
the immunization during the period of January 2010 to December 2010.
iv)To
know the number of children who started the immunization and completed the
normal schedule
v) To
know the number of children that started the immunization but refuse to
complete it.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research is expected to be of great importance to parents and the general
public in Nigeria who will appreciate the implication of the problem of
immunization and know the best way to handle them. The study conducted was done
to aid the following group of people.
i) The
mothers
ii) The
health center
iii) Ministry
of health, Edo State.
The
Mothers: The mother will be advice properly on what they should
do. The information gathered will be of great importance which may change
mother’s attitudes towards immunization programme.
The
health center: The suggestion made will be used as a
source of correction measure to health persons on one way or the other may have
contributed to the lukewarm attitude of mothers when they bring their children
for immunization through health education and lack of follow up visit to trace
defaulters.
Ministry
of health: The findings may serve as a clue for Ministry of
health to make better plan by making of health to make better plan by making adequate
provision of vaccine and training more people into the health sector to promote
child immunization in Nigeria.
1.5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Based on the assumption made, the following research questions are postulated.
1. Does
ignorance of mothers contribute to their attitude towards immunization?
2. Does
lack of immunization lead to death of children?
3. Do
mother get actively involved and delighted in the immunization of the children?
4. Does
the behaviour of health workers affect mothers in the immunization of their
children?
1.6
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This is restricted to the attitude of mothers towards immunization in some
selected health centers in Nigeria. The sample population is made up of mothers
who were selected by simple random process.
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Health:
The state of wellbeing physically and mentally.
Health
Center: A building where group of doctors, nurses and health
workers see their patients.
Mothers: A
female parent of a child.
Child: A
young human who is not yet an adult.
Immunization:
To protect a person or an animal from disease or an animal from disease
especially by giving them an injection or a vaccine.
Fully immunized:
The child was considered fully immunized if he/she received one dose each of
BCG and measles and three doses of DPT and polio (apart from zero dose of polio
at birth) by his /her 1st birthday. Partially
immunized: Those who had missed only one vaccine out of the six primary
vaccines.
Unimmunized:
Those children who had received nil vaccine up to their first birthday.
Measles:
An infectious disease especially of children that cause fever and small red
spots that cover the whole body.
Tuberculosis: A
serious infectious disease in which swellings appear on the lungs and other
part of the body.