In Bangladesh, full vaccination rates among children living in rural hard-to-reach areas and urban streets are low. We conducted a quasi-experimental pre-post study of a 12-month mobile phone intervention to improve vaccination among 0–11 months old children in rural hard-to-reach and urban street dweller areas. Software named “mTika” was employed within the existing public health system to electronically register each child’s birth and remind mothers about upcoming vaccination dates with text messages. Android smart phones with mTika were provided to all health assistants/vaccinators and supervisors in intervention areas, while mothers used plain cell phones already owned by themselves or their families. Pre and post-intervention vaccination coverage was surveyed in intervention and control areas. Among children over 298 days old, full vaccination coverage actually decreased in control areas – rural baseline 65.9% to endline 55.2% and urban baseline 44.5% to endline 33.9% – while increasing in intervention areas from rural baseline 58.9% to endline 76*8%, difference +18.8% (95% CI 5.7–31.9) and urban baseline 40.7% to endline 57.1%, difference +16.5% (95% CI 3.9–29.0). Difference-in-difference (DID) estimates were +29.5% for rural intervention versus control areas and +27.1% for urban areas for full vaccination in children over 298 days old, and logistic regression adjusting for maternal education, mobile phone ownership, and sex of child showed intervention effect odds ratio (OR) of 3.8 (95% CI 1.5–9.2) in rural areas and 3.0 (95% CI 1.4–6.4) in urban areas. Among all age groups, intervention effects on age-appropriate vaccination coverage were positive: DIDs +13.1–30.5% and ORs 2.5–4.6 (p < 0.001 in all comparisons). Qualitative data showed the intervention was well-accepted. Our study demonstrated that a mobile phone intervention can improve vaccination coverage in rural hard-to-reach and urban street dweller communities in Bangladesh. This small-scale successful demonstration should serve as an example to other low-income countries with high mobile phone usage.

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Improving the ability of the satisfaction and proper management to reach the aged population is important for health and essential to mitigate the income erosion consequences of ill health in Bangladesh. This study examined the satisfaction and proper management of the elderly of some identified disadvantages of aged populations; including the effect of poverty-focused nongovernmental development interventions. The objective of the study is to determine the more influential factors that are affecting the health status and living arrangements of the elderly. The data were collected by direct interview method from Chapai-Nawabgonj District, Bangladesh. The chi-square test and logistic regression model were used to fulfill the objective of this study. The results of this study reveal that among literate the majority percent aged population has at least primary education and slightly over half of them have secondary level education. The majority of the elderly people are low income, economically dependent, living with married children. Also, they are unhealthy to suffer from different kinds of illnesses like Lame, Gastric, Blood pressure, Paralysis, Diabetics, etc. A large number of people is taking treatment from M.B.B.S, and a small portion of people are taking treatment from Homeopathic and Ayurvedic physician. Despite their suffering, most of them do not get the proper care. Television, Newspaper, monthly income-expenditure, family member, and educational status are associated with the satisfaction of elderly people. The logistic regression model exposed that serious operation and proper management are the most major significant factors effects satisfaction. It also exposed that mental torture, a different shelter for the elderly are major significant factors effects proper management. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of enhancing local capacities to determine whether self-treatment is indicated, to investigate socio-economic background, or in cases where satisfaction and proper management is sought, to judge provider competence and evaluate whether basic needs are justified. The provision of pharmaceutical training to the full spectrum of satisfied providers is also recommended.