Pilot project launched: EPI technicians to focus on core duties
Their involvement in polio drives affected immunisation against other diseases
Their involvement in polio drives affected immunisation against other diseases. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
After a drop in the coverage of routine immunisation was highlighted, officials decided to let the Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) technicians do their core duty of vaccinating children against nine different diseases, including polio.
The EPI vaccinators had almost left their core duty as they would spend around 15 days in a month administering polio drops to children during the drives.
“This is what we had been demanding for so long and had been conveying the issue to officials since EPI vaccinators had almost left their actual job and routine immunisation was being compromised,” a senior health official told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity.
Seeking a balance
The official added eradication of poliovirus was something extremely important, but it should not be done at the cost of other diseases since thousands of children were falling prey to diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis, pertussis, meningitis, hepatitis B, influenza and above all measles.
Another health official, who has been dealing with polio eradication campaigns, said the issue was discussed in detail and officials decided to launch a pilot project where EPI vaccinators offered outreach services, vaccinated children against nine diseases, which included poliovirus.
He added EPI vaccinators would perform their core duty, whereas other health employees—besides paramedics who had been trained—administered polio drops. He said the pilot project would be evaluated, following which a decision will be made on whether the project should be extended to other districts or not.
Under way
When asked, focal person for polio eradication, Akbar Khan, confirmed the developments. He said the project was launched in districts where coverage of poliovirus was satisfactory, adding the districts included Haripur, Malakand and Buner.
“Sometimes newborns are registered at health facilities, but parents later forget to immunise them against different diseases and this is the duty these EPI vaccinators will perform during the pilot project.” Khan said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2016.
After a drop in the coverage of routine immunisation was highlighted, officials decided to let the Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) technicians do their core duty of vaccinating children against nine different diseases, including polio.
The EPI vaccinators had almost left their core duty as they would spend around 15 days in a month administering polio drops to children during the drives.
“This is what we had been demanding for so long and had been conveying the issue to officials since EPI vaccinators had almost left their actual job and routine immunisation was being compromised,” a senior health official told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity.
Seeking a balance
The official added eradication of poliovirus was something extremely important, but it should not be done at the cost of other diseases since thousands of children were falling prey to diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis, pertussis, meningitis, hepatitis B, influenza and above all measles.
Another health official, who has been dealing with polio eradication campaigns, said the issue was discussed in detail and officials decided to launch a pilot project where EPI vaccinators offered outreach services, vaccinated children against nine diseases, which included poliovirus.
He added EPI vaccinators would perform their core duty, whereas other health employees—besides paramedics who had been trained—administered polio drops. He said the pilot project would be evaluated, following which a decision will be made on whether the project should be extended to other districts or not.
Under way
When asked, focal person for polio eradication, Akbar Khan, confirmed the developments. He said the project was launched in districts where coverage of poliovirus was satisfactory, adding the districts included Haripur, Malakand and Buner.
“Sometimes newborns are registered at health facilities, but parents later forget to immunise them against different diseases and this is the duty these EPI vaccinators will perform during the pilot project.” Khan said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2016.