Impact of national immunization days on polio-related knowledge and practice of urban women in Bangladesh

As part of the Government of Bangladeshs campaign to eradicate poliomyelitis by the year 2000 National Immunization Days (NIDs) were introduced in 1995. The NIDs required collaboration among government agencies the media voluntary organizations service delivery sites and individual volunteers. To assess the impact of the first two NIDs on immunization coverage and the knowledge and practice of mothers in Dhaka city pre- and post-NID cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 1995. Knowledge of polio as a preventable disease increased among the 525 mothers interviewed from 63% to 81%. Home visits from field workers were the main source of information for slum women while television was cited as the most important source by non-slum women. 88% of the 720 children of these mothers received at least one dose of oral polio vaccine during the NIDs and 67% received two stipulated doses. Coverage rates were similar in slum and non-slum neighborhoods. In addition 68% of children reached through the NIDs were provided with vitamin A supplementation. These findings confirm that strategies such as NIDs can be used to mobilize community resources and generate political commitment for health programs.