Grave concerns brought forward with the unsatisfactory performance of the polio campaign in the capital. PHOTO: AFP
In a letter written by the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza to CDA and ICT — a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune — the supplemental immunisation activities and data management system claim the coverage of Islamabad in January’s drive was 103 per cent whereas 96 per cent children were found vaccinated during a spot survey.
However, out of the four Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) in CDA and ICT areas, none could pass a quality test. Out of the four samples, three were intermediate while one failed to meet set standards, according to the letter.
The letter further highlights that 3,511 children remain unvaccinated in the capital, 275 of which were cases of parental refusals.
Farooq has directed CDA and ICT to address loopholes found during the coverage.
When contacted, Mohammad Kashif, in-charge polio cell at ICT, explained that the third party had exaggerated its finding and wrongly claimed that the polio teams did not visit places even where one or two children were not vaccinated.
He further said teams that carried out LQAS did not follow standard protocols.
“The third party claimed that the anti-polio campaign completely failed in Rawat and the results in Bhara Kahu were intermediate, however, that is not true,” he said.
CDA Health Services Director Dr Hasan Orooj informed The Express Tribune that the teams that had evaluated had done so ‘too randomly’.
“If out of the 131,000 children, eight were not vaccinated they deemed the anti-polio drive a failure or of intermediate standards,” he complained.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2015.
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