45% of Pakistanis unaware of polio vaccination

[lightoftruth]

UNICEF report: 45% of Pakistanis unaware of polio vaccination

ISLAMABAD:

More than 45% of Pakistan’s total population is not aware that polio can be prevented through vaccination, a United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) report revealed.

According to the report entitled ‘Pakistan Polio Communications Review’, which was made available with The Express Tribune, only a very small number of parents are aware of the risk that their child may contract polio.

Unicef conducted research in 29 high-risk districts to evaluate key challenges in communications and social mobilisation in order to come up with improved strategies to create awareness about the disease.

The report revealed that 97% of respondents had heard the term ‘polio’; 87% categorised polio as a disease and only 55% were aware of vaccination as a way of preventing the disease.

Only one parent out of three realises their child is at risk of contracting polio this year. According to the report, susceptibility to the virus is highest in Balochistan, where 59% of respondents noted their concern.

The report also highlights the role of hundreds of district and union council communication officers who were allegedly hired, without the knowledge and support of the provincial governments, on heavy salaries and perks during the current year.

“Although many parents have been misinformed that the oral polio vaccine (OPV) could lead to infertility and paralysis, the majority believes it is safe,” the report states.

Many parents refuse to monitor the vaccination due to a misconception that OPV may cause infertility. However, 91% of respondents noted that they have never refused vaccination.

According to the report, vaccinators are the most important means of spreading awareness in Sindh, while radio announcements were the most common in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Moreover, 59%, 33% and 41% of respondents in Sindh, Fata and Balochistan, respectively, find polio teams helpful.

Unicef media officer Abdul Sami informed The Express Tribune that the chief of the Unicef polio section Dennis King was not available for comment due to prior commitments.

UNICEF report: 45% of Pakistanis unaware of polio vaccination – The Express Tribune

 

[Icarus]

Everybody knows about the polio vaccine, that's not the problem. The real problem is that local clerics and mullahs issue fatwahs condemning the polio vaccine anywhere from President Bush's Urine (No, I did not make a typing error) to a drug that diminishes the libido of Children as they mature, leaving them infertile at maturity, a western ploy to "Stop Muslims from Breeding". Finish this ignorance and we are polio free.

 

[third eye]

The content of article at post No 1 is strange , it must be known but misinformation needs to be overcome.

The Health Ministry through NGOs needs to initiate a massive and sustained publicity campaign to educate all. All mediums need to be pressed into service.Taking religious leaders on board would help immensely.

Childern should not have to suffer due to shortsighted biases.

 

[lightoftruth]

south asia as a whole needs to be polio free.India recently did that but being a communicable disease the threat of polio is common to the region .besides i wish the mullahs understand how fatwas deteriorate many children life.

 

[lightoftruth]

Polio eradication campaign: Non-availability of vaccine sets off alarm bells

ISLAMABAD:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised serious concerns over the non-availability of polio vaccine in Pakistan, fearing it may deprive more than 35.5 million children of the vital drops and inflict non-repairable damage to the polio eradication campaign.

The next campaign is scheduled to be held in the second week of July.

According to official documents available with The Express Tribune, through an ‘urgent’ official correspondence the WHO has informed the Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring Cell of the inevitability of a crisis if the government fails to take action to procure the polio vaccine on an emergency basis.

“It is needless to say that all recent achievements under the dynamic leadership will be seriously jeopardised if immunisation activities are not conducted due to the non-availability of the vaccine,” the documents state.

The organisation also expressed concern over the existence of only one registered supplier for the bivalent OPV in Pakistan – cause of the vaccine’s non-availability.

Furthermore, according to the documents a meeting of the National Task Force held on May 7 agreed to grant a waiver to more WHO-qualified vaccine suppliers in order to meet the requirement for the supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs) in Pakistan.

It takes six weeks to deliver the vaccine after the order is placed, which is only possible after a wavier is granted by the government.

The documents highlight concerns about the threat of the polio virus spreading to other parts of the country. “A new polio case usually requires a special emergency response round to ensure that children in the area are saved from the virus. As you can understand, any further delay will lead to late order placements and disturbance in the schedule of the SIAs which the country absolutely cannot afford at this critical time,” the documents state.

Meanwhile, senior officials working closely with the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the WHO may have chosen the wrong office to look into the matter as the Prime Minister’s Polio Cell is only a monitoring body.

The Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, through necessary funding from the economic affairs division, is the correct body to procure the vaccine, they said.

They added that almost all high-ranking officials of the Pakistan Polio Programme, including the National EPI manager, were in Geneva to attend the World Health Assembly last week. However, the major crisis in the making was not brought up by any of the concerned officials.

Health experts currently see Pakistan as progressing well in the fight against polio with 16 cases reported this year as opposed to 41 cases during the corresponding period last year. However, they believe that with a delay in the delivery of the vaccine, the country may start rolling back on its gains of the current year.

When contacted, focal person for National Polio Eradication Shahnaz Wazir Ali said demand of the vaccine has increased due to an increase in the number of polio vaccination points throughout the country.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/386067/police-eradication-campaign-non-availability-of-vaccine-sets-off-alarm-bells/

 

[Leader]

Everybody knows about the polio vaccine, that's not the problem. The real problem is that local clerics and mullahs issue fatwahs condemning the polio vaccine anywhere from President Bush's Urine (No, I did not make a typing error) to a drug that diminishes the libido of Children as they mature, leaving them infertile at maturity, a western ploy to "Stop Muslims from Breeding". Finish this ignorance and we are polio free.

spot on !!

 

[vsdoc]

We had similar issues and hurdles to overcome during our Pulse Polio program.

You will similarly realise that in addition to tackling misinformation and lack of education amongst the lower strata, one of the challenges will also be overcome inertia and resistance amongst the wealthy upper strata.

For the program to be a success, you have to pulse saturate the entire target population cohort.

Its like kabaddi. The virus will find a hole in your encirclement.

 

[lightoftruth]

Its the dam vaccination plot, which brought Sakellafridi to CIA, ohh , I understood, your microsoft owner is in need, to find ! Another afridi?
Btw you guys, are getting good, daily wages ?
How much they, are paying you per/hour in. Indian rupees?
Dam, we got whole frim , on us!

stay on topic

 

[kumarkumar1867]

This is seriously Alarming.... if its really near to 45% ....Polio is bigger threat to Pakistan than many political & social issues we discuss here.
Hope Educated Class & Government takes proper steps & the situation gets better.

 

[lightoftruth]

This is seriously Alarming.... if its really near to 45% ....Polio is bigger threat to Pakistan than many political & social issues we discuss here.
Hope Educated Class & Government takes proper steps & the situation gets better.

not only to pakistan but also every country in this region is under this threat because of this negligence and irresponsible behaviour from pakistani government.

 

[batmannow]

Vaccination of every form , is a security threat to pakistan, after docters were found working, with CIA!
Well , the report isn't , true!
I am a pakistani, I got my frist drop, at the age of 3 years way, back in 1968 , in ISlamabad, my older brother got, the drop of polio vaccination, at the age of 2, in 1965 at a army hospital in karachi.

Well , some reports could be , wrong some times, humman errors could happen, any way at , any time.
Right now, peoples are angry & suspectfull, of any vaccination, in pakistan & this could be , the main problem , that the collectors of the report got , this. False impersion?
I guss , pakistanis are well, informed about the given subject, its some other reason s , why these kinds of reports , kept appearing in the press.
I think , as a huge population , india needs. 10 times more, thn pakistan to get vaccinated.
For that , noble cause pakistani doctors , can be very help full!

 

[Jango]

What are the results of the poll in Punjab?

There should be more awareness there, because mullahs hat Icarus mentioned have less of a influence there.

 

[punjabimunda]

very worrisome. most countries are free of polio and if pakistan isnt it is something shamefull. even bd is now free of it.

 

[T90TankGuy]

its sad how these mullas are playing with the lives of innocent children . hope the GOP is able to step in and do something about it . by the way aren't there any NGO involved in this in Pakistan?

 

[Jango]

its sad how these mullas are playing with the lives of innocent children . hope the GOP is able to step in and do something about it . by the way aren't there any NGO involved in this in Pakistan?

When the GoP does do something about it, to try and quite down these Mullah's, the already brain-washed people get up, and then the media makes hue and cry, on the lines of 'freedom of expression'.

A strong hand is needed to do something about this.