title: Promotional model: a new direction for the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) and Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in Nigeria.
abstract: The National Programme on Immunization (NPI), which was formerly known as the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), and Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) were relaunched in 1984 after the problems of vaccine supply had been corrected. The aim of the NPI was to protect children against six childhood killer diseases and ORT to rehydrate the dehydrated child caused by diarrhoea. In order to achieve these objectives, a Partner-in-Health strategy was set up to educate, convince and motivate mothers, pregnant women and the community to accept the programme. To assess the effect of the promotional strategy, the government decided to conduct a National Immunization Coverage survey. The results showed that some states were able to reach the target while some were not. The survey also reported that 32% of the reason for immunization failure was due to lack of information and that 9% was lack of motivation. It therefore became necessary to design a promotional model for effective and rapid implementation of the programme. After an evaluation of the promotional strategy set up by the government, a pilot survey was conducted from which nine promotional elements were selected. These promotional elements were regarded as sources of information and motivation. Based on these, a promotional model was set up which stated that promotion depends on consumer information which in turn depends on the extent of interaction between the consumer and the promotional elements. The implication of the model is the need for the formation of a Public Health Organisation with a Public Health Committee at all levels of government.
authors.affiliation: Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Ekerete
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D009313:National Health Programs; D009549:Nigeria; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D013745:Tetanus Toxoid