Changing tactics: Govt relies on scientific research to plan polio campaign

Only nine drives will be carried out between Sep and May next year

KARACHI: Given the meagre results of frequent polio campaigns, the government has decided to rely on research organisations to plan its future drives to combat the crippling virus.

The Sindh government has decided to conduct only nine campaigns, every month between September and May next year, and only target specific areas. It came up with this plan based on the recommendations of the Institute of Disease Modelling.

"We had more than one campaign in a month," pointed out Emergency Operations Centre, Sindh, coordinator Dr Mohammad Usman Chachar. He confirmed that this is the first time that polio drives will be conducted scientifically.

Read: Polio eradication: Vaccination Act termed a persuasive law

The first drive takes place with the National Immunisation Day (NID) between September 7 and September 10 in three district of Karachi, including districts West, Malir and South. In the next phase, the remaining districts in the provincial capital will be covered between September 11 and September 14. A three-day drive will be launched in the rest of the province from September 14.

The government plans on vaccinating over eight million children across Sindh, including 2.2 million in Karachi, said a health official, adding that they plan to cover 188 union councils. During the campaign, Vitamin A will be administrated to 7,356,515 children, aged between six and 59 months, across Sindh, said another official.

The last polio case to surface in Karachi was in October last year, followed by one case in rural Sindh in February this year. The health department hopes to end polio from the province by the end of this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2015.