Extra efforts needed to keep Islamabad polio-free

Islamabad

No stone should be left unturned to ensure that Islamabad remains polio-free. The health department must focus on selection and training of appropriate area in-charges and team members to reach each child during every campaign.

The Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq stated this while speaking to the area in-charge and polio team members during her surprise monitoring visits in Islamabad slums here Thursday. She was accompanied by national coordinator Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, and director of the Directorate of Health Services, CDA, Dr. Hassan Orooj.

Earlier, in the morning, the overall progress of the January nationwide campaign was reviewed at the National Emergency Operation Centre (EOC). Of the targeted 37.3 million children, 31.8 million children have been vaccinated during the first three of the campaign, which had to be delayed to January 23 in 19 out of 30 districts in Balochistan, Khyber Agency, and selected snow-bound Union Councils of a few districts in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Fata. The campaign was also stopped for a day in Larkana, Kambar, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad because of rainfall and has been extended by one or two days on request of the respective district Polio Control Rooms.

Appreciating the work of the provincial and district teams on overcoming weather challenges, Ayesha called for reinvigorated efforts during final push against the crippling virus. “With continued decline in cases, proportion of positive environmental samples and genetic diversity of the circulating virus, we are closer to interruption of poliovirus than ever,” she stated.

The meeting deliberated on activities underway to respond to the positive environmental samples from Quetta block. With the progress in core reservoirs of Karachi and Khyber-Peshawar, the current challenges in Quetta block need to be urgently addressed to achieve our goal, Ayesha reiterated.

In Islamabad, of the 301,286 target children, a total of 187,539 children (62%) were reported vaccinated during two days of the rain-affected campaign. Today being the third day, campaign activities in pockets of the capital were monitored by the Prime Minister’s Focal Person herself. She interacted with the programme staff in the field and had a critical look at their micro plans, route maps and records of covered and missed children.

Whereas the overall campaign quality was satisfactory, Ayesha stressed that no child should be missed. These children are going to decide our success or failure in coming months, she stated in her motivational dialogue with polio teams working in the area.

Dr. Rana Safdar shared that though the last case from Islamabad was reported in September 2008, polio virus was subsequently detected from its sewerage samples in August 2015, depicting risk of importation from elsewhere. Despite good overall immunity, the capital remains the programme’s high priority due to frequent movement of high-risk populations from areas where virus is still present, he shared.

Pakistan reported 20 cases of polio in 2016 as against 54 in 2015 and 306 in 2014. Nevertheless, a consistent push is imperative to achieve the ultimate national goal. High-quality campaigns from now till May 2017 are critical for the country to effectively plug the residual immunity gaps and achieve interruption. Combined OPV/IPV campaigns in areas with highest risk areas are planned in February and March 2017 to make it happen.