Letter from centre conveys urgency to kick-start Sehat ka Insaf
PM’s focal person on polio appreciates K-P’s efforts to increase the immunisation net.
The ‘Insaf Sehat Kits’ arrive in Peshawar. Starting Sunday, 65,000 of these will be distributed, during what has been termed as the largest immunisation drive in the history of the country. PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD:
A letter from the prime minister’s (PM) focal person on polio to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government conveyed the sense of urgency with which the province needs to launch Sehat ka Insaf. The Insaf campaign will focus on child health and routine immunisation, initially only in Peshawar.
The communiqué sent on Thursday was written in response to a letter sent by K-P Secretary Health Ghulam Qadir Khan.
PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq appreciated the province’s efforts to “accord priority protection to children by up-scaling routine immunisation efforts.” She noted although the programme offers a “package of health services”, it was encouraging that polio immunisation will resume under this campaign after a lag of almost a month and a half. Such a long lull creates the potential for an immunity gap, read the letter.
Earlier, a polio drive was supposed to commence from January 26 but was postponed after attacks on polio workers in Karachi and Mansehra on January 21 resulted in the death of four.
She reminded the provincial government “the eyes of the entire world are on Peshawar – a key polio reservoir – to redouble efforts and resume stalled campaigns.”
Sehat ka Insaf, however, will start from the first week of February and will provide the children of Peshawar immunisation against nine paediatric diseases, not just the poliovirus. Under this campaign, more than 12,500 Insaf Razakaar or Insaf Health Volunteers will also distribute health education material and hygiene kits.
In the letter, Farooq expressed concern for the children of K-P – 47% of whom did not receive routine immunisation, according to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-2013. She emphasised the risk children faced as the immunisation campaigns have not yet started in Peshawar this year.
Lauding “valiant” health workers and their security for “braving high-risk” work environs, she added the recent spate of attacks on polio workers also point towards the need for adequate and effective security cover for vaccination teams. “There is a clear need to revisit the current security strategy and deployment of personnel in order to mitigate risks to both polio workers and the security personnel escorting them.”
Her letter directed, “the plan needs to ensure security cover for each team, both in high risk and traditionally non-high risk areas, keeping in view the pattern of recent attacks.”
Talking to The Express Tribune, PTI K-P President Younas Zaheer appreciated the response to K-P secretary health’s letter. However, he was candid that the focus of Sehat ka Insaf was more than just polio.
Reiterating the campaign’s focus on health awareness and immunisation against nine major diseases, Zaheer said the Insaf drive was all inclusive.
“Sehat ka Insaf is more effective as a holistic campaign and, this way, people will trust the drive more.” After all, Zaheer pointed out, polio campaigns are continuously targeted, and are viewed by so many as suspect.
“We will launch (Sehat ka Insaf) this coming Sunday, and will have the cover of over 4,000 police personnel – we are prepared.”
Sehat ka Insaf will kick-off from Shaheen Town and will reach 50 union councils (UC) of Peshawar.
Prepping for Sehat ka Insaf
Ghulam Qadir chaired a high-level meeting at the Health Secretariat earlier this week to review the groundwork undertaken for the health awareness and immunisation campaign.
It was decided the DHOs will notify two committees to cater to logistics such as hygiene kits, literature, and set up health camps in impoverished UCs.
The camps will provide free check-ups and will be funded by the K-P government. The camps will be positioned in Shaheen Town I and II in the first phase.
In subsequent rounds, two different UCs each will be identified for such camps.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak will inaugurate Sehat Ka Insaaf in Shaheen Town on Sunday, participants of the meeting were informed.
At least 250,000 dengue brochures, 12,000 hygiene kits, 12,000 caps for the razaakars, 6,000 flags have been prepared for the campaign.
The Peshawar DC, DHO, Expanded Programme for Immunisation Deputy Director Dr Jan Baz Afridi attended the meeting, among others.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.
A letter from the prime minister’s (PM) focal person on polio to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government conveyed the sense of urgency with which the province needs to launch Sehat ka Insaf. The Insaf campaign will focus on child health and routine immunisation, initially only in Peshawar.
The communiqué sent on Thursday was written in response to a letter sent by K-P Secretary Health Ghulam Qadir Khan.
PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq appreciated the province’s efforts to “accord priority protection to children by up-scaling routine immunisation efforts.” She noted although the programme offers a “package of health services”, it was encouraging that polio immunisation will resume under this campaign after a lag of almost a month and a half. Such a long lull creates the potential for an immunity gap, read the letter.
Earlier, a polio drive was supposed to commence from January 26 but was postponed after attacks on polio workers in Karachi and Mansehra on January 21 resulted in the death of four.
She reminded the provincial government “the eyes of the entire world are on Peshawar – a key polio reservoir – to redouble efforts and resume stalled campaigns.”
Sehat ka Insaf, however, will start from the first week of February and will provide the children of Peshawar immunisation against nine paediatric diseases, not just the poliovirus. Under this campaign, more than 12,500 Insaf Razakaar or Insaf Health Volunteers will also distribute health education material and hygiene kits.
In the letter, Farooq expressed concern for the children of K-P – 47% of whom did not receive routine immunisation, according to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-2013. She emphasised the risk children faced as the immunisation campaigns have not yet started in Peshawar this year.
Lauding “valiant” health workers and their security for “braving high-risk” work environs, she added the recent spate of attacks on polio workers also point towards the need for adequate and effective security cover for vaccination teams. “There is a clear need to revisit the current security strategy and deployment of personnel in order to mitigate risks to both polio workers and the security personnel escorting them.”
Her letter directed, “the plan needs to ensure security cover for each team, both in high risk and traditionally non-high risk areas, keeping in view the pattern of recent attacks.”
Talking to The Express Tribune, PTI K-P President Younas Zaheer appreciated the response to K-P secretary health’s letter. However, he was candid that the focus of Sehat ka Insaf was more than just polio.
Reiterating the campaign’s focus on health awareness and immunisation against nine major diseases, Zaheer said the Insaf drive was all inclusive.
“Sehat ka Insaf is more effective as a holistic campaign and, this way, people will trust the drive more.” After all, Zaheer pointed out, polio campaigns are continuously targeted, and are viewed by so many as suspect.
“We will launch (Sehat ka Insaf) this coming Sunday, and will have the cover of over 4,000 police personnel – we are prepared.”
Sehat ka Insaf will kick-off from Shaheen Town and will reach 50 union councils (UC) of Peshawar.
Prepping for Sehat ka Insaf
Ghulam Qadir chaired a high-level meeting at the Health Secretariat earlier this week to review the groundwork undertaken for the health awareness and immunisation campaign.
It was decided the DHOs will notify two committees to cater to logistics such as hygiene kits, literature, and set up health camps in impoverished UCs.
The camps will provide free check-ups and will be funded by the K-P government. The camps will be positioned in Shaheen Town I and II in the first phase.
In subsequent rounds, two different UCs each will be identified for such camps.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak will inaugurate Sehat Ka Insaaf in Shaheen Town on Sunday, participants of the meeting were informed.
At least 250,000 dengue brochures, 12,000 hygiene kits, 12,000 caps for the razaakars, 6,000 flags have been prepared for the campaign.
The Peshawar DC, DHO, Expanded Programme for Immunisation Deputy Director Dr Jan Baz Afridi attended the meeting, among others.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2014.