Abdul Momin Kazi
The role of mobile phone-based interventions to improve routine childhood immunisation coverage
Aga Khan University|University of British Columbia
routine childhood immunisation one successful costeffective public health interventions considerably reduced global child morbidity mortality1shen ak fields r mcquestion future routine immunization developing world challenges opportunitiesglob health sci pract 2014 2 381394crossref pubmed scopus 66 google scholar however annually estimated 187 million children 1 year age receive basic vaccination part expanded programme immunisation epi worldwide millions children die vaccinepreventable diseases2whoimmunization coveragehttpwwwwhointmediacentrefactsheetsfs378engoogle scholar social issues insufficient appreciation immunisation parents caregivers forget ignore importance immunisation completing entire series vaccines consequence continuation polio epidemic large measles outbreaks high disease burden vaccinepreventable diseases children3owais hanif b siddiqui agha zaidi improving maternal knowledge vaccines impact infant immunization rates communitybased randomizedcontrolled trial karachi pakistanbmc public health 2011 11 239crossref pubmed scopus 115 google scholar lancet global health dustin gibson colleagues study4mobile phone delivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled triallancet global health 2017 5 e428e438summary full text full text pdf pubmed scopus 95 google scholar showed effectiveness sms reminders coupled incentives improving immunisation uptake timelines kenya4mobile phone delivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled triallancet global health 2017 5 e428e438summary full text full text pdf pubmed scopus 95 google scholar rapidly growing advancements mobile technology revolutionised global connectivity 7 billion mobile phone users worldwide live developing countries5kazi carmichael jl hapanna gw et alassessing mobile phone access perceptions textingbased mhealth interventions among expectant mothers child caregivers remote regions northern kenya surveybased descriptive studyjmir public health surveill 2017 3 e5crossref pubmed scopus 34 google scholar element portability sharing allows mobile phones reach people internet alone providing great solution challenges travel complex intercultural contact5kazi carmichael jl hapanna gw et alassessing mobile phone access perceptions textingbased mhealth interventions among expectant mothers child caregivers remote regions northern kenya surveybased descriptive studyjmir public health surveill 2017 3 e5crossref pubmed scopus 34 google scholar 6kazi murtaza khoja zaidi ali monitoring polio supplementary immunization activities using automated short text messaging system karachi pakistanbull world health organ 2013 92 220225crossref pubmed scopus 27 google scholar substantial proportion population living poverty line access mobile phones5kazi carmichael jl hapanna gw et alassessing mobile phone access perceptions textingbased mhealth interventions among expectant mothers child caregivers remote regions northern kenya surveybased descriptive studyjmir public health surveill 2017 3 e5crossref pubmed scopus 34 google scholar thus changed mode communication among people worldwide provides great potential public health engagement mobile health mhealth smsbased interventions successfully improved vaccination uptake children7haji lowther nganga z et alreducing routine vaccination dropout rates evaluating two interventions three kenyan districts 2014bmc public health 2016 16 152crossref pubmed scopus 62 google scholar although incentives used improve healthcare outcomes gibson colleagues study showed statistically significant effect mobile phonebased incentives coupled sms improving immunisation coverage timelines low middleincome country lmic setup4mobile phone delivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled triallancet global health 2017 5 e428e438summary full text full text pdf pubmed scopus 95 google scholar given mobile phone access acceptability lmics considerable potential mobile phonebased interventions improve immunisation coverage settings previous studies assessing effect texting vaccination largely focused flu vaccination children adolescents usa8stockwell kharbanda e martinez ra vargas cy vawdrey dk camargo effect text messaging intervention influenza vaccination urban lowincome pediatric adolescent populationjama 2012 307 1702crossref pubmed scopus 258 google scholar limited data lmics role mhealthbased sms interventions improving routine childhood immunisation coverage7haji lowther nganga z et alreducing routine vaccination dropout rates evaluating two interventions three kenyan districts 2014bmc public health 2016 16 152crossref pubmed scopus 62 google scholar studies assessed conventional oneway text reminders studies compared reminder messages educational interactive twoway sms messages related vaccination uptake9oyoita wiysonge cs oringanje c nwachukwu ce oduwole meremikwu mm interventions improving coverage childhood immunisation low middleincome countriescochrane database syst rev 2016 7 cd008145pubmed google scholar however gibson colleagues study sms reminders standalone intervention improve immunisation coverage effect seen sms combined incentive4mobile phone delivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled triallancet global health 2017 5 e428e438summary full text full text pdf pubmed scopus 95 google scholar results present study also showed improvement timelines measles immunisation scheduled 9 months age almost gap 6 months last vaccine according epi schedule lmics4mobile phone delivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled triallancet global health 2017 5 e428e438summary full text full text pdf pubmed scopus 95 google scholar although major focus reminder messages impact educational provoking messages automated calls vaccination coverage improvement might also high bearing explored furthermore studies looked feasibility conditional cash transfer mobile phones improving immunisation timelines10wakadha h chandir ev et althe feasibility using mobilephone based sms reminders conditional cash transfers improve timely immunization rural kenyavaccine 2013 31 987993crossref pubmed scopus 84 google scholar one major reservation smsbased interventions level literacy caregivers receiving message preference phone calls text messages populations low literacy resourceconstrained settings shown studies5kazi carmichael jl hapanna gw et alassessing mobile phone access perceptions textingbased mhealth interventions among expectant mothers child caregivers remote regions northern kenya surveybased descriptive studyjmir public health surveill 2017 3 e5crossref pubmed scopus 34 google scholar findings pilot study assessing supplementary immunisation coverage using sms text automated calls showed much higher response automated call 78 sms text messages 3 personal communication mobile phone text messages local languages pictorial messages automated phone calls interactive voice recording according local settings also play important part improvement routine childhood immunisation additionally adding incentives mobile money airtime also positive influence immunisation coverage gibson colleagues showed greatest effect improvement coverage timelines incentive group received equivalent us24mobile phone delivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled triallancet global health 2017 5 e428e438summary full text full text pdf pubmed scopus 95 google scholar however cost implication scaling sustainability model country programme level nonetheless improving immunisation uptake according schedule time decrease mortality morbidity also reduce supplementary immunisation activities mobile phonebased interventions great potential connect routine childhood immunisation services parents caregivers particularly resource constraint settings however clear policy mhealthbased interventions related routine childhood immunisation including conditional cash transfer mobile phones needs explored furthermore order scale mhealthbased interventions mobile phone numbers registries caregivers children eligible routine childhood immunisation established preserving privacy confidentiality new innovative costeffective approaches required enhance communication engagement care coordination careseekers healthcare providers improve routine childhood immunisation coverage lmics settings declare competing interests mobile phonedelivered reminders incentives improve childhood immunisation coverage timeliness kenya msimu cluster randomised controlled trialin setting high baseline immunisation coverage levels sms reminders coupled incentives significantly improved immunisation coverage timeliness given global immunisation coverage levels stagnated around 85 use incentives might one option reach remaining 15 fulltext pdf open access