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Knowledge of mothers on poliomyelitis and other vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination status of children in pastoralist and semi-pastoralist areas of Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND
Awareness and service utilization are key to polio eradication.


OBJECTIVE
Assess the knowledge of mothers on polio and other vaccine preventable diseases, and utilization of immunization services in pastoralist and semi-pastoralist areas in Ethiopia.


METHODS
A community-based cross sectional study using a multistage cluster sampling method involving women who delivered during the previous one year was conducted.


RESULTS
A total of 600 women were interviewed. Three hundred-and-five (50.8%) women said they knew what polio was. The time to initiate polio vaccination was correctly indicated to be at birth or within 2 weeks of birth by 224 (37.4%) women. Four hundred forty five (74.2%) women said they did not know how polio is transmitted Polio birth dose (Polio 0) and Polio 3 vaccine coverage were estimated at 32% and 37% respectively. Adjusting for other factors, knowledge of when polio vaccination starts was significantly associated with having a child vaccinated for Polio 3 (OR 95% CI = 3.45 (2.33- 5.11).


CONCLUSION
Knowledge of mothers about polio is low and a little more than one third were aware of when the initial vaccine dose should be administered. Providing detailed information on polio and the recommended vaccination schedule can contribute to improve immunization and hasten polio eradication.