ISLAMABAD: Increasing number of polio cases in the country has put a question mark on the quality of the vaccines being administered to children.

On Friday, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio MNA Ayesha Raza Farooq ordered an independent monitoring of polio campaigns especially in high-risk areas.

The number of polio cases recorded in Pakistan this year has surged to the highest level compared to the last 14 years after several new incidences of the disease were reported.

The number of polio cases has reached 202 this year, surpassing the previous record of 199 cases in 2000.

Ms Farooq, who was visiting the Federal Polio Control Room, stressed that monitoring and evaluation mechanism should be strengthened in order to eradicate the disease from the country.

She reviewed the data received from provincial and district polio control rooms and issued directives to the officials to streamline their reporting mechanism.

“Provinces need to analyse data before sharing it with the federal control room; authenticity needs to be maintained,” she said.

Ms Farooq urged the provinces to ensure 100 per cent coverage of children in the districts where vaccinators fail to reach them. She emphasised on better coordination between the federal and provincial polio control rooms.

Earlier, National Manager of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Rana Safdar presented an overview of the polo campaign (September 29-October 1, 2014).

Dr Safdar highlighted that most refusal cases were reported from Bannu and Swabi districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the performance of Federal Polio Control Room could only be improved through proper monitoring, supervision and reporting mechanism right at the union council level.

He maintained that children in high risk union councils (UCs) were constantly being missed and needed special attention.

The national technical focal person of the Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell, Dr Altaf Bosan, while talking to Dawn, said because of increasing cases of polio, third party evaluation of polio campaigns was necessary.

Replying to a question, Mr Bosan said a non-governmental organisation dealing with health issues could be hired for third party evaluation of polio campaigns.

Published in Dawn, October 11th , 2014