ISLAMABAD: The prime minister’s polio monitoring cell has challenged the decision of the apex committee, consisting of politicians and army officers, to follow the Sehat ka Insaf programme of the KP government against the crippling disease.

The committee took the decision at a meeting held here on January 22. However, the KP provincial departments are confused to implement the direction of the federal authority as international departments and the United Nations (UN) agencies have already appreciated the Sehat ka Insaf model.

Also read: Centre, KP join hands to fight polio, other major diseases

It may be noted that the ‘Sehat ka Ittehad’ plan will start from February 1 and will end in May. As many as 12 one-day campaigns would be held in the 12 weeks. The campaigns would be held in 12 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and three districts of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata). The army has promised all-out support and security for the campaigns.

An official of the KP health department on the condition of anonymity said the very next day of the decision of the apex committee (Jan 22), the provincial government informed the prime minister’s focal person on polio, MNA Ayesha Raza Farooq, and minister national health services Saira Afzal Tarar about the details of the programme and sought their cooperation.

“Unfortunately, the same day (Jan 23), MNA Ayesha Raza wrote to the KP health ministry asking it to learn from the experience of the one-day campaigns conducted in Peshawar during the first quarter of 2014 when some of the grey areas subsequently provided the virus an opportunity to bounce back,” he said.

It was also mentioned in the letter that 29 wild polio cases had been reported and multiple positive environmental samples showed that the virus was present in Peshawar. It was suggested that foolproof campaign preparedness and regular post-campaign monitoring should be ensured in all interventions planned under ‘Sehat ka Ittehad’.

The official said in December 2013 the WHO declared Peshawar as the world’s largest reservoir for poliovirus. As a result, the Sehat ka Insaf programme was launched in KP and children in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda and Swabi were given seven million doses of polio. Because of the campaign, Peshawar became a polio-free city as samples collected in August were declared clear.

“Moreover, because of the one-day campaign, not a single polio worker was killed in Peshawar during the campaign. So it was highly appreciated by the international organisations,” he said.

According to a presentation given by the technical advisory group (TAG) on polio eradication in June 2014, the Sehat ka Insaf programme was highly appreciated.

According to the website of WHO, the role of TAG is to review progress towards polio eradication throughout the world by assessing implementation on its previous recommendations.

In the presentation, it was stated that TAG had congratulated the government of KP for the innovative problem solving move, resolve and commitment, meeting broad health needs of the population while ensuring safety for health workers. It also showed that the Sehat ka Insaf programme had not a single drawback.

Moreover, a letter written by the chairman Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), Sir Liam Donaldsin, to the director general WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, on Feb 26, 2014, stated that the IMB showed concerns on the progress of the federal government but satisfaction on the progress of the KP government.

The letter stated: “If the current trend continues, Pakistan will be the last place on earth in which polio exists. The most serious situation is in the north­west, where the virus is enjoying unencumbered circulation at great human cost.”

However, about Peshawar, it added: “We welcome the firm and intelligently designed initiative underway in Peshawar but such an innovation must be sustained in this region and be promoted elsewhere in the country. The adequacy of the government’s plans will be in full public view at our May meeting, and at the subsequent World Health Assembly.”

An official of the KP health department said it was unfortunate that the federal polio authorities had been trying to sabotage the Sehat ka Ittehad programme just because it was not their initiative.

MNA Ayesha Raza could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. However, the head of the emergency operation centre for polio, Dr Rana Safdar, said the letter had been sent to the KP health ministry to ensure an adequate preparedness.

“We want to get maximum results from the campaigns and for that proper planning should be done. We have been considering that there should be overall eight campaigns instead of 12 and two campaigns in a month instead of four,” he said.

“Moreover, we want foolproof security. Because of the security issues, the lot quality assurance sampling, a survey which is carried out after a campaign to analyze the result, could not be done for the last one year in Peshawar. We will hold a meeting with the KP health department on Monday and discuss the matter,” he said.

Published in Dawn January 26th , 2015

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