11 September 2004	Saturday	25 Rajab 1425

KARACHI, Sept 10: The World Health Organization, in coordination with Sindh Health department, is in process of constituting a task force to address the issue of restricted accessibility of polio vaccinators to the remotest parts of the province.

This was revealed at a meeting between Sindh chief minister's adviser on Health Faisal Malik Gabol and the WHO delegation, comprising Dr Khalf Bille Mohammad, WHO's representative to Pakistan, Dr GN Kazi and Dr Mohammad Azmoudeh, on Friday.

The vaccinators and relevant healthcare staff were identified to be able to cover only a little more than 30 per cent of the under-five children based in the distant parts of the province during special polio immunization campaigns and otherwise, leading to rise in fresh polio cases, the meeting was told.

The new task force has been assigned the responsibility to initiate fresh planning for the coming National and Sub-National Immunization Days, besides strictly monitoring the vaccinators' performance.

During the meeting, it was also observed that the trend to influence the induction of vaccinators and supervisors in the Health department had led to inclusion of such staffers in the campaign who lacked commitment to their job.

Besides, owing to their connections with influential people, some of the health workers cared little about any disciplinary action against them, Dr Azmoudeh particularly told the Health adviser.

The WHO delegates also expressed their reservations regarding performance of some of the EDOs (Health), who had allegedly undermined the severity of the issue, thus impeding the efforts for eradication of the disease.

Mr Malik, talking to the WHO delegation, said the inadequacies observed in the past would be effectively contained, and a fool-proof system of surveillance and accountability would be ensured to make the anti-polio efforts fruitful.

He said it was lack of political will that the country had yet to attain its targets of TB control, Malaria eradication and zero prevalence of polio, despite massive funding.

Maintaining that provision of healthcare facilities was among the state responsibilities, and that no slackness would be tolerated in this regard, the adviser also maintained that he believed in service without any discrimination.

Mr Malik told the WHO delegation that during the two NIDs undertaken in his tenure, he had noticed many irregularities, and added that on paper there had been 500 vaccinators involved in the NIDs, while only 300 were actually in the field.

There had also been complaints that in certain localities the houses were simply marked without ensuring that the children living there were duly vaccinated, he elaborated.

He said that he would see that honest and hardworking staffers of the department were acknowledged. "They would not only be rewarded but will also be assigned responsibility in the areas registering comparatively less coverage rates," he said, adding that surveillance committees would also be monitoring the performance of healthcare staff. -APP

Misreporting by media hits drive in Sindh

KARACHI, Sept 10: The anti-polio drive in Sindh has suffered severe blow recently due to misreporting in some newspapers. This was stated by Dr Azmoudeh, a member of the WHO delegation which met the chief minister's adviser on Health on Friday, while taking to Dawn.

Dr Azmoudeh was of the opinion that even though some new cases of polio had been discovered, the situation was far better as compared to that of last year. He said the new cases had surfaced not because of problems with the vaccine, but because the immunization coverage was not adequate.

He stressed upon the need for vigorous advocacy of immunization. Dr Azmoudeh was of the view that the country had indeed come close to eradicating polio and all the stake-holders should, therefore, join hands so that the crippling disease could be banished from the country as soon as possible.

Answering a question about the effectiveness of the vaccines in use, he said: "The vaccines are okay, no doubt. But as I said many children are being missed regularly." He said the solution lay in improving the immunization coverage and also in persuading the parents that they should get their children vaccinated against polio.

Dr Azmoudeh said the children should be administered anti-polio drops immediately after birth. "But in too many cases this is not done. And during the NIDs also some children are missed, compounding the problem."

He was of the opinion that the media should provide maximum information to parents, so that each child was vaccinated against the polio during the each anti-polio drive. Mr Malik assured the WHO team that mistakes would be avoided in the upcoming NIDs and adequate plans would be made.