Survey Finds Low Levels of Awareness About Typhoid Prevalence and Ways to Prevent it

•       Nationwide survey of 1,337 respondents across eight cities shows low awareness on typhoid prevalence and ways to prevent it including vaccination

•       About one fifth (18%) of respondents in Delhi who did not vaccinate their children considered typhoid to be ‘not at all serious’ or ‘mild/easily manageable’

•       With 2.2 million cases of typhoid recorded in India in 2016, the country has one of the highest incidence rates in the world, with the disease affecting mainly children

•       Typhoid symptoms are often non-distinguishable from other illnesses but early preventative treatment measures including education play a key role in protecting children

DELHI, India, 21 July 2020 — Abbott, one of India’s leading healthcare companies, partnered with Babygogo (part of the Sheroes Network), to conduct a nationwide survey across eight cities* to assess awareness around typhoid fever. With 2.2 million cases of typhoid being recorded in India alone in 2016,[1] typhoid fever poses a serious disease burden in the country.

 

Typhoid fever, which is a bacterial infection, tends to affect children most, with peak incidence occurring in children aged 5-15 years.[2] Currently available evidence shows that vaccination against typhoid is effective and tolerable.[3] The survey results highlighted that only 66% of respondents reported being aware of a typhoid vaccination.

Key Survey Findings

·       There are higher levels of awareness for mandatory vaccines, i.e., vaccines given in National Immunization Program of the country (NIP) such as rotavirus (82%) compared to vaccines not given in NIP such as influenza (67%) and typhoid (66%).

·       The survey revealed that about one fifth of respondents in Delhi who did not vaccinate their children (18%) considered typhoid to be ‘not at all serious’ or ‘mild/easily manageable’, unaware of the fact that the bacterial infection can lead to serious complications  if left untreated or treated with inappropriate medicines.

·       Other findings suggest that key reasons for not vaccinating include absence of vaccine recommendation by the pediatrician (48%) and non-inclusion in the list of NIP vaccines (36%).

Misleading Symptoms and Delay in Treatment

Commenting on these findings, Dr. Shyam Kukreja, Director & Head, Department of Pediatrics, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi, said, “The Indian sub-continent has the highest typhoid disease burden. The disease spreads through the oro-faecal route and therefore, improvement in the quality of drinking water and sanitation are some solutions to control the disease. The interim solution is vaccination against typhoid, particularly in high endemic regions. Typhoid conjugate vaccine is the most efficacious vaccine developed against typhoid, and is also effective in younger children under the age of 2 years.”

Myths on Causes for the Disease

Survey findings also show that myths about the disease are highly prevalent. As a bacterial bloodstream infection, typhoid fever spreads through contaminated water and food, often due to lack of hygiene and access to drinkable water. Yet 57% of survey respondents nationwide inaccurately attributed the cause of typhoid to a change of weather or season. Only a minority of mothers in Delhi identified close contact (18%), touching contaminated surfaces (25%) or eating food cooked by a typhoid patient (21%) as risky behaviours that could spread typhoid.

Prevention Helps Lessen Infections and Drug Resistance

Studies have shown that vaccinations can help lower the incidence of infection, but 8% of the respondents in Delhi stated that they prefer to take the risk of getting a serious medical condition than to receive a vaccination for it.

Dr. Kukreja added, “Moreover, vaccination helps in reducing the disease burden but there is low level of awareness regarding the benefits of typhoid vaccine. The findings also indicate that the vast majority of people surveyed have low levels of awareness about typhoid and the specific precautions that need to be taken to protect themselves and their families. Education around the benefits of getting children vaccinated is required which in turn can play a key role in ensuring higher immunization rates to protect children from this disease.”

Dr. Srirupa Das, Medical Director, Abbott India, explains, “The findings shed light on awareness levels, motivation and behaviors around typhoid vaccination in India. They suggest that increased awareness on typhoid and ways to prevent it, such as improved hygiene levels and vaccination, can contribute to lessening India’s health burden due to typhoid infections. As part of our mission of helping people live healthier lives, we support educational initiatives on typhoid fever in India, especially amongst new mothers and parents in general.”

About the survey

Abbott India, in partnership with Babygogo (part of the Sheroes Network), conducted a survey across eight cities* namely Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune to understand the perceptions and barriers surrounding typhoid vaccination. A total of 1,337 respondents were surveyed online on awareness levels, motivation and behaviours surrounding vaccination against typhoid in India. 37% of caregivers surveyed had children aged 0 to 6 months, 39% had children aged 6 months to a year and 24% of people had children 1-2 years old.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. In India, Abbott was established in 1910, and is one of the country's oldest and most admired healthcare companies. With over 12,000 employees in the country, Abbott in India is helping to meet the healthcare needs of consumers, patients and doctors throughout urban and rural India.

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