The societal value of vaccination in developing countries.

The vaccination of children against childhood illnesses not only carries the obvious medical and economic benefits, but there exists numerous indirect and often far reaching added societal benefits. In developing countries, vaccination forms the basis of village operated primary health care (PHC) activities leading to a sustained PHC programme. Vaccination programmes provide an opportunity for the provision of other primary care services, as it can be the only recurring activity in primary care, that brings mother and child into contact with health services on a predictable and frequent basis. Vaccination leads to a direct and measurable reduction of child mortality rates and this has been proven to families and communities, resulting in families choosing to have fewer children. Vaccination becomes an opportunity for a higher standard of living as it encourages smaller families and in this way contributes to successes In family planning programmes. The vaccination of children has a great impact on the lives of women in developing countries as they are the principle carers of children. Protecting the lives of children directly through vaccination and through other PHC activities is a major strategy towards improving the lives of women as it liberates their time, energy and resources. The opportunity and provision of vaccination empowers women to protect their own health and that of their children through their own actions, giving an added psychological feeling of control and empowerment in their lives. Therefore, while vaccination services can be delivered alone, they are best delivered along with other services needed by children in their first year of life and by pregnant women: the persons who constitute the priority groups for primary health care services in the developing world. In addition to the monitoring of the growth of the child, the use of oral re-hydration to treat diarrhoea and the promotion of breast-feeding, these services may include malaria treatment and prophylaxis, and counselling with respect to child spacing, nutrition during pregnancy, weaning practices, and clean water and sanitation.