National Immunisation Day
Meeting The Target of Polio Eradication

By Balaram Chaulagain

TO MEET the global target of eradicating polio by the year 2005 AD, the government launching 5th year’s second round National Immunisation Day (NID) in the country today 20th January 2001. It is expected that more than four million Nepalese kids under the age of five will be administered polio drops on this fifth NID.

The four NIDs conducted in the last four years reportedly became successful. As per the concerning source, the previous immunisation drives against polio have brought about positive results by sharply dropping the paralytic polio cases in the country.

South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal are believed to be a fertile ground for paralytic polio. As such Nepal is trying her best to wipe it out from the country. Children are the pillars of the nation and it is important to promote their health. Hence Ministry of Health has understandably fixed the anti-polio campaign since four years back. The NID, aimed at eradicating polio from Nepal, has been regularly organised throughout the country since 1996. Because of active involvement of all governmental as well as non-governmental authorities, all political parties, social organisations such others the programme has been able to achieve success. The 2nd round of fifth year’s anti-polio drive which is scheduled to be held to day targets to feed all under five kids through 23,000 vaccination booths with the help of about 1,00,000 volunteers and health workers. The vaccination centres will be former routine immunisation sites, schools, health posts, sub-health posts, temples, health clinics and etc.

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease which primarily affects the intestinal canal and may transmit up to the central nervous system resulting in paralyses or causing deformity of limbs and even death, too. Till date, there is no any kind of specific treatment for paralytic polio and prevention through vaccination is only a remedy from this diseases. The OPV is prepared from advanced modern technology where polio viruses are made toxinless and attenuated to feed the child. Thus OPV is a mixture of alive harmless polio viruses which after administration develop immunity to the child who receives it besides as the child excrete such vaccine viruses through the stool later may be disseminated in nature and kill or suppress the other wild polio causing viruses. The importance of such mass anti-polio drive so far has been believed to be a prominent milestone in the field of child health. As long as the wild polio viruses continue to proliferate in nature we cannot get rid from such nalady. Therefore mass anti-polio campaign should be launched successfully. To materialise the goal of NID all under five kids should not be left out to feed the OPV. Due to the mature of disease if a single child is left out during NID drive, polio may strike again. That is why, all parents should be urged to feed the OPV in spite of their previous immunisation against polio and some minor ailments. Disease does not obey the political boundaries of any country to be spread. All SAARC countries should not lag behind to synchronise the NID drive simultaneously. The urgency of mission is the result of knowledge that polio which has not known cure and vaccination is only a reliable option to be prevent people from this killer disease. Until recently, live oral polio vaccine as immunising agent against polio has been proved to be a reliable breakthrough to end the scourge. But as per a recent news report (Oct. 27) from AFP source intitled ‘Polio Eradication Threatened by use of live viruses: Research has put forth question mark on immunisation against polio by live and attenuated opv. Till date, most of the countries are using OPV for immunising purpose either in routine immunisation period or in the time of mass vaccine time. A recent research conducted by Japan based National Institute of Infectious Disease in Tokyo concluded that hopes of eradicating polio from the planet within stipulated time are being compromised by the use of live vaccine that is enabling the polio viruses to return to the environment through excreta. This time the old logics concerning to OPV are being compromised as such a sceptical situation has come whether to promote the controversial OPV or not. The objective of this write up is not to minimise anti-polio drive but to avoid the dilemma currently seen in this sector. Curiority is alarmingly increasing among the general public residing across the globe who are eager to know the facts put forth by AFP source. Peripheral health institutions should obey the order of high health authorities regardless of any controversy seen in the health sector.

Despite the confusion over the nature of presently using OPV the first round of 5th year’s anti-polio drive with live OPV concluded some one and half month ago. In countries like Nepal where there is gross absence of basic sanitation and awareness among the general public what would be the result of the free flow of direct sewerage to river polluted with the excreta of the child who receives OPV. If the news story from the AFP source is correct the polio may appear in the form of epidemic. As such, a clear cut explanation regarding live OPV as an immunising agent against polio should be given as soon as possible.

It is not understandable why the government and other international health authorities like WHO, UNICEF and such others are turning a deaf year about this crucial health issues. In this connection, high ranking authority working in Nepalese health care system might have been busy doing high level politics and playing the game of commission do not have a single minute to think over it why the other international health authorities seen as mute spectators. Vaccinating over four million kids under five years of age across the length and breadth of the country on a fixed date is indeed a challenging. To accomplish such a gigantic task full co-operation from all quarters of life should be focused. As such to materialise the laudable goal of eradicating polio by the year 2005 AD all political parties, governmental and non-governmental bodies, teachers, journalists, students, parents and all others should actively participate to make the NID successful as in the past.

Giving Children Their Rights

By Gokul Prasad Burlakoti

TO MEET the global target of eradicating polio by the year 2005 AD, the government launching 5th year’s second round National Immunisation Day (NID) in the country today 20th January 2001. It is expected that more than four million Nepalese kids under the age of five will be administered polio drops on this fifth NID.

The four NIDs conducted in the last four years reportedly became successful. As per the concerning source, the previous immunisation drives against polio have brought about positive results by sharply dropping the paralytic polio cases in the country.

South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal are believed to be a fertile ground for paralytic polio. As such Nepal is trying her best to wipe it out from the country. Children are the pillars of the nation and it is important to promote their health. Hence Ministry of Health has understandably fixed the anti-polio campaign since four years back. The NID, aimed at eradicating polio from Nepal, has been regularly organised throughout the country since 1996. Because of active involvement of all governmental as well as non-governmental authorities, all political parties, social organisations such others the programme has been able to achieve success. The 2nd round of fifth year’s anti-polio drive which is scheduled to be held to day targets to feed all under five kids through 23,000 vaccination booths with the help of about 1,00,000 volunteers and health workers. The vaccination centres will be former routine immunisation sites, schools, health posts, sub-health posts, temples, health clinics and etc.

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease which primarily affects the intestinal canal and may transmit up to the central nervous system resulting in paralyses or causing deformity of limbs and even death, too. Till date, there is no any kind of specific treatment for paralytic polio and prevention through vaccination is only a remedy from this diseases. The OPV is prepared from advanced modern technology where polio viruses are made toxinless and attenuated to feed the child. Thus OPV is a mixture of alive harmless polio viruses which after administration develop immunity to the child who receives it besides as the child excrete such vaccine viruses through the stool later may be disseminated in nature and kill or suppress the other wild polio causing viruses. The importance of such mass anti-polio drive so far has been believed to be a prominent milestone in the field of child health. As long as the wild polio viruses continue to proliferate in nature we cannot get rid from such nalady. Therefore mass anti-polio campaign should be launched successfully. To materialise the goal of NID all under five kids should not be left out to feed the OPV. Due to the mature of disease if a single child is left out during NID drive, polio may strike again. That is why, all parents should be urged to feed the OPV in spite of their previous immunisation against polio and some minor ailments. Disease does not obey the political boundaries of any country to be spread. All SAARC countries should not lag behind to synchronise the NID drive simultaneously. The urgency of mission is the result of knowledge that polio which has not known cure and vaccination is only a reliable option to be prevent people from this killer disease. Until recently, live oral polio vaccine as immunising agent against polio has been proved to be a reliable breakthrough to end the scourge. But as per a recent news report (Oct. 27) from AFP source intitled ‘Polio Eradication Threatened by use of live viruses: Research has put forth question mark on immunisation against polio by live and attenuated opv. Till date, most of the countries are using OPV for immunising purpose either in routine immunisation period or in the time of mass vaccine time. A recent research conducted by Japan based National Institute of Infectious Disease in Tokyo concluded that hopes of eradicating polio from the planet within stipulated time are being compromised by the use of live vaccine that is enabling the polio viruses to return to the environment through excreta. This time the old logics concerning to OPV are being compromised as such a sceptical situation has come whether to promote the controversial OPV or not. The objective of this write up is not to minimise anti-polio drive but to avoid the dilemma currently seen in this sector. Curiority is alarmingly increasing among the general public residing across the globe who are eager to know the facts put forth by AFP source. Peripheral health institutions should obey the order of high health authorities regardless of any controversy seen in the health sector.

Despite the confusion over the nature of presently using OPV the first round of 5th year’s anti-polio drive with live OPV concluded some one and half month ago. In countries like Nepal where there is gross absence of basic sanitation and awareness among the general public what would be the result of the free flow of direct sewerage to river polluted with the excreta of the child who receives OPV. If the news story from the AFP source is correct the polio may appear in the form of epidemic. As such, a clear cut explanation regarding live OPV as an immunising agent against polio should be given as soon as possible.

It is not understandable why the government and other international health authorities like WHO, UNICEF and such others are turning a deaf year about this crucial health issues. In this connection, high ranking authority working in Nepalese health care system might have been busy doing high level politics and playing the game of commission do not have a single minute to think over it why the other international health authorities seen as mute spectators. Vaccinating over four million kids under five years of age across the length and breadth of the country on a fixed date is indeed a challenging. To accomplish such a gigantic task full co-operation from all quarters of life should be focused. As such to materialise the laudable goal of eradicating polio by the year 2005 AD all political parties, governmental and non-governmental bodies, teachers, journalists, students, parents and all others should actively participate to make the NID successful as in the past.