Research Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences ________________________________ISSN 2320–6047 Vol. 1(9), 30-41, October (2013) Res. J. Mathematical & Statistical Sci. International Science Congress Association 30 Analysis of the Impact of Immunization Programme on Some Prevalent Childhood Diseases (A case study of Aboh Mbaise General Hospital, Imo State from 1998-2012) Opara Jude 1 , Mbachu Hope Ifeyinwa 1 , Iheagwara Andrew I. 1 and Esemokumo Perewarebo Akpos 2 1 Department of Statistics, Imo State University, PMB 2000, Owerri NIGERIA 2 Federal Polytechnic Ekewe, PMB 110, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, NIGERIA Available online at: www.isca.in, www.isca.me Received 21 st September 2013, revised 2 nd October 2013, accepted 11 th October 2013 Abstract This study attempts with how statistical measures are applied to the study of infants immunized under National Proramme on immunization and total number of infants with the six childhood diseases in Aboh Mbaise General Hospital, Imo State from 1998 – 2012. The statistical software packages were used for the analysis. The use of Bartlet’s test of homogeneity of variance shows variation in the data, and the test for normality assumption failed. The Non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test and the spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were adopted in the analysis, and their formulas were explicitly derived. The number of infants responding to the immunization programme is increasing over the years, while the number of infants that are contracting the six childhood diseases are decreasing over the years under study. These findings indicate the effectiveness of the immunization programme. The number of infants with the six childhood diseases depends on the number of infants immunized, except for Measles vaccine which didn’t have a significant impact on Measles, other vaccines had a significant impact on the diseases they are meant to prevent. This development would explain for the high number of infants with measles. The kruskal-wallis test revealed that the various vaccines for infant immunization are significant, and further analysis using the pair-wise comparisons revealed that all the various vaccines are significant, except for; BCG and DPT, BCG and Measles and DPT and OPV that are not significant. Also, the various diseases contracted by infants differ, and further analysis showed that all the various diseases are significant, except for; measles and tetanus, pertussis and Tuberculosis, pertussis and poliomyelitis, pertussis and diphtheria, poliomyelitis and tetanus, poliomyelitis and diphtheria and tetanus and diphtheria that are the same(insignificant). Keywords: Immunization programme, prevalent childhood diseases, kruskal-wallis test, multiple comparisons, Spearman‟s rank correlation coefficient. Introduction It is obvious that in Africa, marriage is never considered happy and successful without the blessing of children. After wedding, the expectation of the couples as well as people around them is the blessing of God in respect of children. Should this be delayed, fear and anxiety set in. It is therefore not unusual to see parents doing everything within their capabilities to ensure the survival of the child. In the event that a matrimonial home is without a surviving child, the negative consequence to the marriage is usually great. In such circumstance, series of advice get to one or both of the couples to take alternative partner. Consequently, such relationships end in divorce. Over the years, many families lost their children to any one of the childhood killer disease, thus dashing the hopes of parents on such children. The effects of such loses often involve social, economic and political implications on the home. To prevent loss of children and its consequences, many parents consult the herbalists and oracles, make incisions and scarifications on the bodies of their children, administer concoctions and perform a number of rituals to appease aggrieved gods, demons and devils believed to be the cause of the unfortunate occurrences 1 . As a way of preventing the loss of children through these killer diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1977 launched a health scheme tagged the 'Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). The EPI is a UNICEF/WHO scheme designed to expand the accessibility of immunization services to an increased number of children within the age range of 0 - 2 years. The programme aimed at combating the six common disease of childhood namely -measles, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) and diphtheria 2 . It also aimed at educating individuals and mobilizing governments to adopt health policies mat will protect children and mothers. Through the EPI, children who are within the first two years of life are immunized against the six childhood diseases. Similarly, pregnant women are vaccinated against tetanus in an effort to, at least, ameliorate, if not eradicate, infant mortality resulting from the childhood diseases.