Role of Health Education in Raising Tetanus Toxoid Vaccination Coverage among Pregnant Women and Mothers with Newborns in Khartoum North-Sudan, 2019

Abstract

Tetanus is an acute disease caused by the toxin of a bacterium called Clostridium tetani which is often found in soil. It is a life-threatening bacterial disease, which causes severe mortality among maternal, neonatal, and young infant. It is so serious even it can waste pregnancy, harm her baby during pregnancy or after delivery. A quasi experimental community based study was conducted among pregnant women and mothers with newborns in Khartoum North Locality from 2015-2019 with the aim to assess the effectiveness of health education intervening in raising tetanus toxoid vaccination coverage among pregnant women and mothers with new born. 266 participants were selected by using a systematic random sampling technique. The intervention that continued for six months includes; health talks, home visits, video show, presentations with power points, focus groups discussion, exhibitions, distribution of printed materials, pamphlets, brochures and posters. The data was statistically analyzed by using the (SPSS) and significant t and c2 - tests. The result showed a significant increase in the participants’ knowledge after the intervention towards tetanus toxoid at P value 0.00, the mode of infection with tetanus at P value 0.00, vulnerable group to tetanus at p value is 0.00, the seriousness of the tetanus at P value 0.00, neonatal tetanus at P value 0.00. There was a significant positive modification of the participants’ attitudes towards the easiness to communicate with the health workers at P value 0.00. The result showed a significant change in the participants’ practices towards vaccination against tetanus toxic at P value 0.00 and significant change towards taking vaccine dose regularly at P value 0.00. The study recommended that Federal Ministry of Health has to conduct many health education interventions to raise the tetanus toxoid vaccination coverage.