ASSESSMENT OF MEASLES VACCINATION AND ACCESS BARRIERS IN THE RIVER NILE STATE, SUDAN

Abstract

Measles is a significant public health concern globally, causing millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to assess the measles vaccination coverage and identify barriers to access measles immunization in the River Nile State, Sudan, where the morbidity of measles is increasing. A total of 183 participants were recruited through a community-based cross-sectional, descriptive study using a questionnaire, and vaccination cards were reviewed to obtain information about vaccination status. The directors of Epidemiology and Immunization departments in the state were interviewed to collect data regarding measles vaccination coverage and case reports. The study found that measles vaccination coverage in children under five years old was 92% of the targeted population according to the state reports, while only 73.8% of the study group was vaccinated by the routine immunization system. The availability of measles vaccination service at the centers was 98.4%, with 78.7% of vaccination services provided by static centers. Suboptimal access to measles immunization represented barriers to vaccination, including distant health centers (19.7%), on-foot access to centers (44.3%), and vaccine rejection by mothers (7%). The study recommends increasing the number of static and sub-centers, activating health education programs to raise awareness, using simple and attractive messages to educate the public about the disease and the importance of vaccination, and encouraging mothers to vaccinate their children. The study's findings can inform strategies to improve measles vaccination coverage and reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with measles in the River Nile State, Sudan.