Sindh task force to launch ‘intense’ campaign for eradication of polio, measles

CM claims he is trying his best to make Sindh healthy, wealthy and cleaner

KARACHI: Taking strong exception to the measles outbreak in Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed officials to eradicate polio and measles from the province by intensifying vaccination campaigns and awareness drives.

"The situation is quite alarming and there should be a thorough investigation into causes of the measles outbreak," the CM said on Tuesday, while presiding over a meeting of the provincial taskforce for polio eradication at the Chief Minister House.



The meeting was informed that measles cases have increased in the last four years. In 2015, 1,175 suspected cases were reported, of which 281 were found positive and eight patients died. In 2016, out of the 3,421 suspected cases, 1,729 were positive and 19 people died. In 2017, 5,779 patients were tested, of whom 3,086 tested positive and 35 died while in 2018, the suspected cases increased to 7,778, of whom 788 tested positive and 122 died.

The CM said the health department must investigate the situation and a vigorous and focused campaign for measles vaccination be launched.

"We should improve our health indicators by taking multi-sectorial interventions," he said, adding that necessary improvements must be made in nutrition, provision of potable water, waste management and to educate people about health issues.

Shah said he was trying his best to make Sindh healthy, wealthy and cleaner. For this purpose, he urged everyone within the government and civil society to support him.

Polio

Briefing the chief minister on polio, Sindh Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Coordinator Fayyaz Jatoi said that in 2018, no polio case has been reported in Sindh so far as compared to last year when two cases were reported and both were from Karachi.

The CM was informed that samples taken from the sewage system, indicated ongoing virus transmission. In Karachi, samples are taken from 11 sites every month. In September, samples from Sohrab Goth, Gadap, Chakora nullah, Gulshan, Mohamamd Khan Colony, Baldia, Orangi nullah and SITE came positive while in the rural areas of Sindh, samples taken from six sites came positive.

The CM was informed that the number of children missed due to refusals and their non-availability at home in September's anti-polio drive was recorded at 215,463, including 96,906 who were not at home and 118,557 who refused.

In rural areas of the province, the number of children missed in September was recorded at 94,875, which included 88,464 who were unavailable and 6,411 refusal cases.

The CM said that frequent positive samples from Jacobabad and Kamber was not a good sign. This may be due to the seasonal population movement to and from Karachi and Quetta and drought-related population displacement from Tharparkar and Umerkot to other parts of the province. Shah directed the taskforce to devise a strategy to control the situation accordingly.

Calling on the need for the leadership of deputy commissioners, Shah said they were needed now more than ever before. "I want you [DCs] to control the increasing community resistance to polio vaccination," he instructed, directing Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho to improve the performance of the district and taluka health officers in some districts, such as Malir,  West, Central, Jacobabad, Kamber, Sujawal and Matiari where frequent positive environmental samples were found.

He also expressed displeasure over inadequate support from the directorate of private schools and directed the education department to speak to the private schools' administrations for cooperation with polio teams in administering the vaccine to their students, otherwise strict action would be taken against them.



The meeting was attended by Dr Pechuho, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to the CM Sajid Jamal Abro, provincial secretaries of local government and health, Commissioner Sauleh Farooqui, Karachi Additional IG Dr Ameer Shaikh, World Health Organisation team leader Dr Abdi Rehman, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund team leader Lieven Desomer, Rotary International chairperson Aziz Memon, all divisional commissioners and other concerned officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2018.