ABSTRACT
The study was undertaken to assess the level of sero-protection of children up to five years of age who had received at least one dose of HB vaccination in their infancy. It is a cohort study to follow up vaccinated children from four weeks after completion of vaccination to one, three and five years of age of the children. The study was conducted in three districts of North West Frontier Province [N.W.F.P] from August 1991 to 1996. WHO/EMRO supplied single dose of vaccine for HBV in 1991. Five hundred randomly selected children fulfilling the inclusion criteria of having received at least one dose and 100 each of those children having received two or one dose of the vaccine: serology was conducted by using commercial ELISA. [Abbott]. Anti HBs was detected in 70% of infants who had received all the three doses, four weeks after completion of vaccination. After one year the sero-protection was raised to 90%, it fell to 80% after 3 years and 70% after 5 years. The group with two doses of the vaccine had anti HBs positive rates of 70%, 50% and 16% after one, three and five years respectively. The group having one dose had anti HBs positive rates of 50%, 30% and 6% and one, three and five years respectively. Sero conversion was best in children who had received full course and was significantly lower in those having received partial vaccination
ABSTRACT
To determine the level of family planning knowledge, practices and the reasons for the use of less effective methods in the rural areas of Islamabad. A cross sectional descriptive study based on demographic survey of house hold members in a convenient sample population. Information on family planning was collected from the child bearing age married couples practicing family planning. Data was collected through a questionnaire in Urdu. Information was collected on household composition, education level of the couple, family planning knowledge and its use. The interviews conducted were on voluntary bases and thirty females declined the interview. The study was done on 138 ever-married couples aged 50 or younger to know their family planning knowledge and practices. There were 309 married women of child bearing age out of whom 239 [78%] had the knowledge of family planning and 185 were practicing family planning methods. In uneducated women the total fertility rate was 5.0, while in women with secondary or higher education the total fertility rate was 4.0 lifetime births per women. The most commonly used contraceptive was the condom 39%, followed the IUD 33%. oral pills 10%, indictable 10% and tubal ligation 8% The preference of using less effective methods of family planning was mainly influenced by the desire of a male baby and pairing of a male child. Sixty two percent of the couples with no male child used condoms while there was not a single case of tubal ligation in this group. About 38% couples with two male children used condoms and 15% also had tubal ligation. Overall, 80% of users obtained the method from the near by family planning units, while 20% got it from the pharmacies, markets, private hospitals or clinics