Routine Childhood Immunization: Pictorial Cards for Caregivers
Educational cards to promote childhood immunization among caregivers in Mozambique.
Audience: Community health education
Languages: Portuguese
Format: Cards
Key topics: Routine childhood immunization; Caregiver education
According to the World Health Organization, 25 million children worldwide did not complete their recommended immunizations in 2021. In Mozambique’s Zambézia Province, a 2019 study found that nearly 20% of children who begin routine immunizations do not complete the schedule.
This drop-off in immunization against dangerous but preventable diseases like polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis poses a serious threat to children’s health. Our collaborators at VillageReach have worked with the Mozambique Ministry of Health, health workers, and community members on strategies to reduce childhood immunization drop-out rates in the rural Zambézia Province. In 2022, Digital Medic joined this project to support the design of an immunization education solution.
We created a series of engaging informational cards through an iterative process of prototyping and gathering feedback from caregivers and health officials. The cards cover topics like the value of vaccines in protecting a child from life-threatening diseases, routine childhood immunization schedules, vaccine side effects and how to treat them, and how others in the family and community can support a child to be fully vaccinated.
Local health workers distribute the cards to caregivers during one-on-one and group education sessions. Larger poster-sized versions of the cards are also available for display in healthcare facilities. Health workers noted that the educational cards have increased engagement and questions from caregivers.
Access Resources
This project includes six education cards, free for use under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
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