Interventions with Local Faith Communities on Immunization in Development contexts

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ORCiD

Jill Olivier http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9155-6896

Notes

1. This paper emerges from a larger report and annotated bibliography (Olivier 2014) which was supported by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLIF&LC).

2. We focus on LMIC settings in this paper, but it is worth noting that in the HIC literature, there is a strong interest in transnational vaccination issues, such as diseases passing between orthodox communities in LMICs and HICs, and in disease communication and non-vaccination tendencies in some migrant communities, which does have relevance to LMICs (see Olivier 2014).

3. A selectivity hypothesis posits that religious affiliation has little or no independent influence but rather it is the difference in the demographic, social and economic composition of religious groups that largely accounts for observed differences in child survival. A particularized theology hypothesis asserts that differences (in this case in child survival) within religious groups are a result of specific doctrines of a religion (the presence or absence of specific religious tenets, or the influence beliefs and values), see Antai (2009).

4. In a unique study, Jolles and Jolles (2000) look at Zulu rituals and immunization in South Africa, examining traditional ritualistic immunization practices and the interaction between traditional healers and modern hepatitis immunization.

5. HPV vaccination is being introduced to girls and women mainly to reduce incidence of cervical cancer. Several studies have examined whether religious perceptions create a barrier to HPV vaccination uptake, key of which is whether those with a strong religious identity have a different perception of risk in relation to HPV (or delayed sexual activity) (see Brabin et al. 2006; Remes et al. 2012).

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Notes on contributors

Jill Olivier

Jill Olivier is a Senior Lecturer and Research Coordinator at the University of Cape Town in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Health Policy and Systems Division. She is the Director of the International Religious Health Assets Programme (IRHAP), and holds a Ph.D. in Development Sociology.