An exploratory study on knowledge and practice regarding family planning and immunization among women attending MCH clinic

Background: Globally, an estimated 300,000 maternal deaths occur annually owing to causes associated with pregnancy, of which nearly 75% were preventable. Each year, modern contraceptives help women prevent 215,000 pregnancy-related deaths (including 66,000 from unsafe abortions), 2.7 million infant deaths and the loss of 60 million years of healthy life. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions available, saving millions of children from illness, disability and death each year. The burden of infectious diseases has been reduced primary due to immunization. Methods: A cross-sectional study regarding knowledge and practice of family planning and immunization was conducted in a Maternal and Child health (MCH) clinic of Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara. The sample consists of 100 married women of reproductive age group (15-49) years having under five children coming to the clinic using purposive sampling technique. Results: Knowledge regarding family planning methods were oral contraceptive pills/depot/implant (84%) followed by intrauterine contraceptive device (77%), condom (65%), natural methods (80%), permanent method (92%). Condom was most commonly used among temporary methods. More than 4/5 th of the respondents were aware about vaccines as per schedule of Nepal. But 5% of the respondents had neither given any vaccine to their baby and nor taken any dose of tetanus toxoid vaccine during their previous pregnancy. Conclusions: Still 14% of the respondents were not aware about any methods of family planning and 19% does not know about the vaccines as per schedule of Nepal. So there is a need to increase awareness about the different types of family planning methods and immunization.