Eradicating polio: Third nationwide campaign concludes with 97% coverage

Some 35.19 million children were vaccinated in a four-day campaign

ISLAMABAD: Polio workers on Friday reported 97 per cent coverage for children in 161 out of 164 districts of the provinces as they wrapped up their third nationwide vaccination campaign.

According to data released by the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) on Friday, the campaign targeted approximately 36.8 million children under the age of five across the Pakistan and campaign was conducted successfully in all the provinces.

A total of 35.19 million (97%) children were vaccinated in a campaign that that stretched over four days, the NEOC statement said. Out of a total 3.57 million children recorded as un-vaccinated during the first visit, so far 2.61 million (73.15%) had been covered after a revisit on the catch-up day. Out of total 83,332 refusals recorded, 44% have been covered after revisit and still refusals are 46,967 (0.13% of the targeted children). A total of 130,632 children were reported with zero routine dose during the campaign.

NEOC officials announced that the campaign will be conducted on different dates in Debondi tehsil in Killa Abdullah, Swabi, five tribal union councils (UCs) of DG Khan and the Shawa and Spin Wam areas of North Waziristan. Due to heavy snowfall, the campaign could not be held in 10 UCs of Chitral, two UCs of Skardu and one UC of Astore. Due to heavy rainfall that affected the campaign in the areas, the catch-up had been extended for one day  in Mansehra, Lakki Marwat, Faisalabad, DG Khan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Khanewal.

The statement said that the NEOC monitored the campaign through federal field monitors and issued real time feedback to the provinces and areas. The Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) and third party post campaign assessment have started and results will be available in about a week time.

“These polio campaigns are of crucial significance as these will drive us to the final finish line of polio eradication therefore it is of dire importance to maintain the quality,” National NEOC coordinator Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar said. He added that any child missed in the polio campaign was a potential threat to eradication efforts in the country.

NEOC has planned five nationwide polio campaigns up to May 2016 to arrest the poliovirus transmission across the country. The national and provincial EOCs are also in preparation to conduct special IPV campaigns to boost the immunity level of the target population. In Balochistan along with the IPV administration, children will also be vaccinated against measles.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2016.