title: Attitudes and practices of auxiliary nurse midwives and accredited social health activists in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regarding polio immunization in India.
abstract: Although India was removed from the list of polio endemic countries in January 2012, maintaining the focus on polio vaccination is critically important to prevent reintroduction of the virus. In 2009-2010, we conducted a study to assess the attitudes and practices of frontline health workers in India regarding polio immunization in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. More than 95% of auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and accredited social health activists (ASHAs) agreed that polio supplementary immunization campaigns helped in increasing acceptance of all vaccines. The majority of ANMs (60-70%) and ASHAs (56-71%) believed that polio immunization activities benefitted or greatly benefitted other activities they were carrying out. Less than 5% of ANMs and ASHAs felt they were very likely to face resistance when promoting or administering polio vaccine. This study provides information that may be useful for programs in other countries for polio eradication and in India for measles elimination.
authors: Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), Mumbai, India.
authors: Naveen
authors: N
authors: Thacker
authors: Panna
authors: P
authors: Choudhury
authors: Lisa M
authors: LM
authors: Gargano
authors: Paul S
authors: PS
authors: Weiss
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Pazol
authors: Vipin M
authors: VM
authors: Vashishtha
authors: Sunil
authors: S
authors: Bahl
authors: Hamid S
authors: HS
authors: Jafari
authors: Amod
authors: A
authors: Kumar
authors: Manisha
authors: M
authors: Arora
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Venczel
authors: Walter A
authors: WA
authors: Orenstein
authors: Saad B
authors: SB
authors: Omer
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination; D008875:Middle Aged; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011159:Population Surveillance
keywords: India; accredited social health activists; auxiliary nurse midwives; immunization; polio