Immunization in Mali- inequities between rural and urban areas

Abstract: Vaccine-preventable diseases cause millions of deaths every year in the developing world. Despite the fact that vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions available today governments in developing countries fail to keep up with routine immunization and many parents fail to immunize their children. This essay examines the underlying reasons for routine immunization failure and determines the inequities between developing and developed countries. A case study of Mali, where infectious diseases are the main cause of death, is presented. The aim is to examine the inequities between urban and rural areas in the country and the reasons behind them and to find out on which grounds parents fail to vaccinate their children. The conclusions are that there are large inequities both between and within countries. Rural areas in Mali are much worse off compared to urban zones and the reasons are multiple. More extensive poverty and lower education levels are two examples. Parents fail to vaccinate their children in a variety of reasons. The author have found that improving accessibility for health care service for rural areas is one of the most important measures that can be implemented to scale up routine immunization. Further, it is essential that both the government and international organizations commit to funding for vaccines and vaccination.