Polio is a serious disease that can cause lifelong paralysis in children. Although vaccines have made polio rare in many parts of the world, protecting children depends on making sure that most of them receive the vaccine.
A study in Scientific Reports examined how well children in Sub-Saharan Africa are being protected by the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and what factors influence whether children receive it.
The researchers analyzed health survey data from 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa collected between 2016 and 2023. In total, the study included information on more than 43,000 children aged 12–23 months. By studying this large dataset, the researchers wanted to understand how many children are vaccinated and what social or healthcare factors make vaccination more or less likely.
The results showed that vaccination coverage is still not high enough. The study reported that “the pooled proportion of inactivated polio vaccine coverage among children 12–23 months of age in Sub Sahara Africa countries was 65.10%.” This means that about two out of every three children received the vaccine, while one in three children did not.
This level of coverage is concerning because public health experts say that much higher vaccination rates are needed to stop the spread of the virus. According to the study, “in most Sub Sahara Africa countries, the inactivated polio vaccine coverage… is substantially below the WHO-recommended herd immunity threshold of 90%.” When vaccination rates fall below this level, communities remain vulnerable to outbreaks.
The study also found that vaccination rates vary widely across countries. Some countries have made strong progress, while others still struggle. For example, the research noted that “the coverage of polio vaccine uptake also varied from country to country, with the highest coverage in Gambia (93.17%) and the lowest in Uganda (20.26%).” These large differences show that access to vaccines and health services can vary greatly depending on where families live.
Several important factors were linked to whether children received the vaccine. One key factor was maternal education. Children whose mothers had primary or secondary education were more likely to be vaccinated than those whose mothers had no formal schooling. Education may help mothers understand the benefits of vaccines and the importance of completing immunization schedules.
Healthcare access also played a major role. Children were more likely to receive the polio vaccine if their mothers attended antenatal care visits during pregnancy, received postnatal care, or gave birth at a health facility. These healthcare visits provide opportunities for health workers to educate parents and ensure that children are registered for vaccination programs.
The study also found differences between urban and rural areas. Families living in cities were more likely to vaccinate their children, possibly because health services are easier to reach and information about vaccines is more widely available.
Based on these findings, the researchers suggest several ways to improve vaccination coverage. These include investing in women’s education, strengthening healthcare services, encouraging antenatal and postnatal care visits, and increasing public awareness through media and community outreach.
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