Rwanda has, over the last decade (2010 -2020), achieved an average Universal Coverage on Immunization (UCI) rate of 90% or higher for children between 12-35 months old. These successes, though impressive, have demonstrated the gaps that exist in current immunization programs. Some of these gaps to the EPI program include dependency on external funds; personnel shortages, lack of time to amend some practices, delays in achieving action points and uneven distribution of immunization coverage 1 .
To address these gaps, the Government of Rwanda with technical support form UNICEF is working to improve the effectiveness of immunization efforts to achieve universal immunization coverage in the country. As part of efforts to improve immunization coverage, the Ministry of Health/Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) together with UNICEF commissioned a Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Behaviors (KAPB) Study on immunization. The objectives of the study include; (i) assess knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviours about Immunisation among parents/caregivers of children below the age of five-years living in Rwanda; (ii) assess perceptions, myths, and beliefs about child immunization; (iii) identify the enabling factors and barriers to immunization in Rwanda; and (iv) identify the most effective communication channels and tools (for the Rwandan context) to inform the design of the comprehensive SBCC strategy to inspire an increase in immunization services uptake…read more
