NE HEALTH BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JULY 22
Healthcare major Abbott India partnered with Babygogo of the Sheroes Network to conduct a nationwide survey across eight cities to assess awareness around typhoid fever. With 2.2 million cases of typhoid being recorded in India alone in 2016, typhoid fever poses a serious disease burden in the country. In fact, in Gujarat alone, there were 45,942 cases in 2017, contributing 2.07% to India’s total burden, says the survey.
Typhoid fever, which is a bacterial infection, tends to affect children most, with peak incidence occurring in children aged 5-15 years. Currently, available evidence shows that vaccination against typhoid is effective and tolerable. The survey results highlighted that only 66% of respondents reported being aware of a typhoid vaccination.
Key Survey Findings
There are higher levels of awareness for mandatory vaccines, i.e., vaccines given in the National Immunization Programme of the country (NIP) such as rotavirus (82%) compared to vaccines not given in NIPsuch as influenza (67%) and typhoid (66%). The survey revealed that about one-fourth of respondents in Ahmedabad who did not vaccinate their children (22%) considered typhoid to be ‘not at all serious’ or ‘mild/easily manageable’, unaware of the fact that the bacterial infection can lead to serious complications if left untreated or treated with inappropriate medicines. Other findings suggest that the key reasons for not vaccinating include the absence of vaccine recommendation by the pediatrician (48%) and non-inclusion in the list of NIP vaccines (36%).
Misleading Symptoms and Delay in Treatment
Commenting on these findings, Dr. Chetan Trivedi, M.D., D.Ped, Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist, Ahmedabad said, “The Indian subcontinent has the highest incidence of typhoid worldwide. The illness is characterized by prolonged fever, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, and constipation or sometimes diarrhoea. Since these symptoms are often clinically non-distinguishable from other illnesses causing fever, typhoid is frequently not treated appropriately at the early stages when such treatment is most effective – which makes prevention all the more important. The findings of this survey indicate that physician recommendation can play a key role in ensuring higher immunization rates to protect children from this disease, as can efforts to educate patients.”
Myths on Causes for the Disease
Survey findings also show that myths about the disease are highly prevalent. As a bacterial bloodstream infection, typhoid fever spreads through contaminated water and food, often due to lack of hygiene and access to drinkable water. Yet 57% of survey respondents nationwide inaccurately attributed the cause of typhoid to a change of weather or season. Significantly, less than half of mothers from Ahmedabad identified close contact (30%) touching contaminated surfaces (18%) or eating food cooked by a typhoid patient (17%) as risky behaviours that could spread typhoid
Prevention Helps Lessen Infections and Drug Resistance
Studies have shown that vaccinations can help lower the incidence of infection, but 19% of the respondents in Ahmedabad stated that they prefer to take the risk of getting a serious medical condition than to receive a vaccination for it.
Dr. Trivedi added, “Prevention through vaccination will help reduce typhoid burden and mortality. Given the rising emergence of drug-resistant strains of typhoid, the administration of typhoid vaccination to populations at high risk of infection is a public health priority. The survey findings indicate the vast majority of mothers have low levels of awareness about typhoid and the specific precautions that need to be taken to protect themselves and their families. Educating mothers about the benefits of getting their child vaccinated is the need of the hour.”
Dr. Srirupa Das, Medical Director, Abbott India, explains, “The findings shed light on awareness levels, motivation and behaviours around typhoid vaccination in India. They suggest that increased awareness of typhoid and ways to prevent it, such as improved hygiene levels and vaccination, can contribute to lessening India’s health burden due to typhoid infections. As part of our mission of helping people live healthier lives, we support educational initiatives on typhoid fever in India, especially amongst new mothers and parents in general.”
