IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE IMMUNIZATION AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL AREAS OF PAKISTAN.

Main Article Content

Eliza Shahid
Mansoor ulHaque Nohri
Aisha Sahoowal
Naeema Asghar
Usama Javed
Ruqia Jamali

Keywords

Immunization, Rural Health, Barriers, Vaccination, Qualitative

Abstract

Introduction: The vaccination process is necessary for the public health system to prevent the development of infectious diseases. Rural populations are more likely to face various difficulties than urban populations, such as accessing centers to receive life-saving vaccines. Due to this neglect, the vaccination rate is lower. This article will examine the challenges of vaccination in rural areas of District Poonch Pakistan and distill the obstacles and missed opportunities.


Objectives: The goal of the study is to get a better understanding of barriers to effective immunization to enhance immunization rates and achieve improved public health in the area from an emic perspective. To document the obstacles and opportunities lost related to immunization in remote areas of District Poonch, AJK.


Methods: The article conducted a study among parents and healthcare providers living in rural areas through in-depth interviews. The qualitative research method and a grounded theoretical approach were used. The interview results were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to identify common themes and patterns present in the data.  


Results: The study reported five meta themes and several sub-themes on important issues related to vaccine uptake. Several important issues were revealed by the data, which were related to access and transportation issues, lack of knowledge and awareness gap, socioeconomic barriers, health infrastructure issues, and most importantly, community support for the vaccination program shows room for improvement.  


Conclusion: This study focuses on the challenges of vaccinating people living in remote areas. Policymakers and healthcare professionals can use information from this study to improve vaccination rates in underserved communities. Additional research and initiatives are needed to address the challenges and ensure equal access to vaccines for everyone.

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