‍Improving maternal vaccination awareness in Nepal through an audio-visual public engagement (MVac Nepal)

Vaccine-preventable diseases significantly contribute to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite life-saving potential of maternal vaccines, the coverage among pregnant women remains low. Global evidence suggests that maternal immunisation against common bacterial and viral infections (e.g., diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Group B Streptococcus) greatly benefits both mothers and their newborns.

According to Nepal’s Annual Health Report 2023/24, the maternal mortality ratio is 151 per 100,000 live births. Approximately 2,000 perinatal deaths are reported annually, and the neonatal mortality ratio is 21 per 1,000 live births, with infection being a leading cause of death.

The government of Nepal recommends Tetanus-diphtheria vaccine as a routine antenatal vaccine. As an impact, there has been significant reduction in tetanus and diphtheria infections in mothers and neonates. However, several social, financial and administrative factors hinder the sustainability of vaccination programmes. There is also a public hesitancy in certain communities, especially for newer vaccines.

In this IMPRINT public engagement project, a documentary was produced which highlights successes as well assystemic challenges linked with Nepal’s maternal immunisation programme. While the overall aim of the documentary is to improve public awareness and boost coverageof existing maternal vaccines, it also explores pathways for introducing newer vaccines on the horizon.

Implemented by Dr Suraj Bhattarai from the Global Health Research and Medical Interventions Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal (GLOHMED), other collaborators of this project include the National Health Education, Information and Communication Center (NHEICC) and the Family Welfare Division (FWD) at the Ministry of Health and Population.

In preparation for the documentary, GLOHMED organised a series of workshops with national and subnational stakeholders which included senior government officials, members ofthe National Immunisation Advisory Committee, clinicians, field health workers and representatives of health development partners. These workshops guided script development. On-site filming was conducted in communities with low vaccine coverage and health facilities which adopted best practices in antenatal care and maternal immunisation. Furthermore, one-to-one interviews were conducted with the experts, pregnant women and ground-level workers such as Female Health Community Volunteers and vaccinators.

The documentary is available in two languages: Nepali and English. The English version can be found in the videos section of our website.