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26
March
Afghanistan presses ahead against
polio
Rotary International News
Afghanistan’s
relentless effort to finish polio has succeeded in cornering the virus in the
country’s southern region, according to a World Health Organization report in
February. The region is part of a larger zone of virus transmission that
includes southern Pakistan.
Strong
immunization coverage of children living in the border areas of Afghanistan and
Pakistan is critical to both countries’ efforts to end polio. "This is a
virus that does not respect borders," said Dr. Rudolf Tangermann, a medical
officer with WHO’s polio eradication initiative, following Afghanistan’s
National Immunization Days (NIDs) in 2007. "These two countries cannot
eradicate polio in isolation." More
Dr Nasir Khan, President of the Rotary Club of Jalalabad,
immunizes a child against polio during Afghanistan’s March NIDs.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Brown
25
March
10,000
health workers stop polio in one of most dangerous places on earth
Somalia passes polio-free landmark
25
March 2008, Geneva, Switzerland – Somalia is again polio-free, the Global
Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced today, calling it a 'historic
achievement' in public health. Somalia has not reported a case since 25
March 2007, a landmark moment in the intensified eradication effort launched last
year to wipe out the disease in the remaining few strongholds. Read more,
or download
podcast
Polio
immunization of a nomadic child. Frequent
population movements across Somalia meant that children of nomadic populations
were at particular risk of polio. As
part of innovative and tailored eradication strategies, nomadic routes were
identified and mapped, and vaccination points set up at key gathering points.
Photo credit:WHO/Dr Tajudin
07
March
Getting
the message across in Balochistan
Provincial team trained in social mobilization tools
More
than 50 polio team members in Balochistan province of Pakistan participated in a
joint UNICEF-WHO communications training, learning to use social mapping and
data to develop and evaluate their communication strategies. The interactive,
hands-on training was held under the leadership of the provincial EPI government
team and is part of capacity-building to support the critical role of
communications and social mobilization in the overall eradication strategy.
The
provincial polio team emphasizes the development of district-specific plans
which take into account the local challenges and realities. New communications
staff members have been recruited for the high-risk districts to support the
district teams in intensifying social mobilization activities. Challenges
include low levels of awareness and accessibility, refusals, low female
participation and reaching highly mobile populations. Offering the tools to
address such challenges, the trainings have inspired renewed interest and
enthusiasm for communications and social mobilization. Participants included
district support officers, surveillance officers and communications officers.
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