January 22, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 12, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 21: While the health concerns launch the anti-polio immunisation campaign in Sindh like their counterparts in other provinces, the executive district officers of health have been asked to remain alert and ensure cent per cent coverage of the targeted population across the province.

Speaking at a ceremony held in the New Karachi town on Monday to mark the commencement of the three-day immunisation campaign, Caretaker Health Minister Fauzia A. Lari warned that the EDO Health concerned would be held responsible and action would be initiated against him if a single case was reported in his area of jurisdiction. She asked the EDOs and doctors to make concerted efforts for the eradication of polio virus from the province this year.

The sole responsibility to make rural and urban areas free from polio virus remained with the EDO of the respective district and as such they were needed to be cautious and work further to achieve 100 per cent coverage of children in their district, she added.

Health authorities at the federal and provincial levels are all set to make the year’s first anti-polio immunisation campaign beginning from January 22 a success.

Last year 11 confirmed cases of polio virus were reported in Sindh, where about 6.5 million children would be administered oral polio vaccines this year through about 20,000 vaccination teams.

UN agencies, polio partners, donor governments and the private sector have been extending support to ensure the provision of resources being utilised by local health workers and international surveillance teams since the start of the polio eradication initiatives in the country in 1994, said an immunisation programme official. Low persistent transmission was the reflection of the last phase of the epidemiologic situation and difficulties of access in some hard-to-reach areas of the province, he added.

It is said that two national immunisation days and two sub-national immunisation days have been planned for the country in the first six months of 2008.

While the operational cost regarding immunisation days including the payment of honorarium to field staffs and vaccinators through their respective EDOs is borne by the WHO for every special immunization campaign, the vaccines and related support is ensured by the federal healthy ministry. The Unicef takes the responsibility of social mobilization and training of staffs.

International health authorities are of the view that if polio virus prevails even in a limited population of any country it is a threat to all the children across the globe as the virus could not be confined for long and as such the relevant success achieved after a joint struggle by nations for years and investment of huge money would finally stand nullified.

Dr Salma Kauser of the Expanded Programme for Immunisation, Sindh, said that the province was not too distant from the zero polio prevalence target. She expressed hope that Sindh would become the first polio-free province of the country during 2008.

“We have got two pockets in southern and northern Sindh where situation had worsened due to transmission of virus from other provinces and as such have outlined the related plan to overcome the crisis,” she added.

Replying to a question, she conceded that it had been found that polio virus was being transmitted to the interior of Sindh, i.e. Kambar and Thatta, from a city like Karachi, the city of most well-off and educated people.

“It is a matter of concern for the district administration as well that polio virus was being transmitted from a developed city like Karachi to other parts of the province,” Special Secretary (Public Health) Dr Abdul Majid said while underlining the need for concerted efforts to improve the situation in the metropolis as well.

After inaugurating the polio campaign, the health minister took round of the urban health centre, located in 5-C North Karachi, and expressed concern over the non-availability of syringe cutters at the health facility and non-functioning gynaecology wards there.