Footsteps 14

IMMUNIZATION

Most people are aware of the importance of immunization. In this issue we try and explain the reasons behind immunization as well as giving some practical help with carrying out an immunization programme.

Please find below articles from Footsteps issue 14.

Bible study The Blood of Christ. Blood may be thought of in many ways - it may be seen as a sign of weakness, injury and death. But we also talk of our ‘life blood’. Blood keeps our body healthy and alive. Blood may bring life to others by transfusions. Immuni... More >>

Editorial There is a huge difference between telling someone to do something because it is good for them and explaining clearly why something is good for them so they can make up their own minds. Most people are aware of the importance of immunization. In this... More >>

Immunization in Disaster Situations by Dr Edwin J Pugh. In disaster and refugee situations, infectious diseases are a potential major health hazard. This is due to a variety of factors including overcrowding, an unsanitary environment and poor nutrition. A mixture of people living in... More >>

Immunization: The practical details Except where marked otherwise, the diagrams on this page are taken from the book Immunization in Practice produced by WHO. Used with kind permission of Oxford University Press. Many serious diseases can be prevented by immunizing a child before it i... More >>

Letters Purple chicks! Referring to the tips in Issue 10, please note that when chicks are dyed with gentian violet (to protect them from predators) they could be rejected by the mother hen if it is done during the day. The correct practice is to dye them ... More >>

Newcastle Disease: Vaccines for village chickens by Professor P B Spradbrow. Most rural families in developing countries keep chickens, even those families that are too poor to own other animals. These chickens must scavenge for most of their food, although sometimes they receive household scrap... More >>

Organising for immunization by Sandra Michie. The needs Years ago in Zambia our tiny mission hospital was regularly over-filled with epidemic patients. Whooping cough and measles were the two worst and best remembered epidemics. In 1967 at least one child died from measles i... More >>

Resources How to look after a refrigerator by Jonathan Elford. An expanded and updated version of this popular manual has recently been published by AHRTAG. The 58 page book is written for health workers in hot climates who are responsible for storing vaccin... More >>

Tetanus Tetanus is a very serious disease which makes a person’s muscles contract and become very stiff. It is very difficult to treat and over half of the adults who catch tetanus will die. Tetanus is responsible for over half of the cases of death in new... More >>

The Knotty Problem of the Haunted Wells In Footsteps No.12 we reported that people living near Mengo Hospital in Uganda preferred to drink dirty river water instead of the clean water offered to them because of their fear of spirits. Here are some of the ideas you sent us. I read with gr... More >>

The Mukombe A useful idea sent in by Andrew Maclean, WaterAid, Rukungiri, Uganda. Handwashing after using a latrine is vital, but exactly how to do this when water is scarce is a major problem. Getting children to wash their hands is even harder. Placing a ... More >>

The Transport of Tree Seedlings by Michael Madany. When I began doing agroforestry work with communities in Somalia in 1985, I wondered how to solve the problem of transporting tree seedlings. Tree seedlings grown in polyethylene tubes need great care while they are being carried... More >>

Understanding Immunization by Dr Tom Crusz. Years ago, smallpox was a dreaded disease which killed huge numbers of people all over the world. No treatment could be found. People who survived the disease did not catch smallpox again. They had become ‘immune’. Cows also suffere... More >>