The Pakistan Development Review 40 : 1 (Spring 2001) pp. 57–70 Factors Affecting Childhood Immunisation in Bangladesh SOMA CHOWDHURY BISWAS, MD. ABU DARDA, and MD. FASIUL ALAM This study has examined the coverage of childhood immunisation and tried to identify the factors affecting the acceptance of immunisation practice among children in Bangladesh using the data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 93-94. Results from multinomial logistic regression analysis indicate that education, occupation, household economic condition, mother’s age at birth, sex of child, mother’s TT immunisation acceptance, mother’s health facility visit, health worker’s visit to mothers, and contraceptive use are the independent variables that have statistically significant association with immunisation acceptance. The most important variable identified is the health worker’s visit to mothers. INTRODUCTION The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) of the WHO consists of vaccination against six childhood disease: polio, measles, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, and tuberculosis. Although the campaign to immunise the children against life threatening disease was started in 1979, Bangladesh seriously considered the EPI effort only after 1985 when it made its commitment at the United Nations to reach child immunisation by 1990. In the first phase, EPI commenced in 8 thanas and then to 190 thanas, and increased gradually. EPI in Bangladesh is implemented through various clinic-based and outreach activities. Immunisation motivation and education are provided during household visits by health workers and family planning field workers while vaccination services are available at outreach centres like EPI spot and satellite clinics (both static and mobile). There are also private doctor’s clinics for immunisation vaccine in the country. The achievement of immunisation in Bangladesh has been impressive. In the recent past, TT immunisation acceptance increased more than ten-fold, from 6 percent in 1984 to 67 percent in 1993-94, and full immunisation among children 11–23 months old Soma Chowdhury Biswas is Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at Chittagong University, Bangladesh. Md. Abu Darda is Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Islamic University, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Md. Fasiul Alam is Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics, Chittagong University, Chittagong, Bangladesh.