National Polio Day campaign in a squatter settlement through medical students

Abstract

Objective: To provide maximum polio vaccination coverage to under-five (<5) year children of a squatter settlement through Ziauddin Medical University (ZMU) medical students.

Setting: ZMU has established a Primary Health Care Program in a squatter settlement, which is predominantly inhabited by migrants from North Western Province of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The total population is approximately 20,000 and the proportion of <5 year children is nearly 19%.

Methodology: ZMU started Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) campaigns from 1996; up to 1999. The OPV campaigns were confined to the National Immunization Days (NIDs). A different strategy of "door-to-door" OPV services by medical students was undertaken in 1997. In December 1999 the polio vaccination coverage of <5-year children was evaluated through duster sampling. This paper describes the steps for improving OPV coverage in Sikanderabad.

Results: The estimated number of <5 year children in the area is 4,600. In a duster sample survey after the 1999 NID campaign out of 620 under 5 year children living in 429 households, 529 (85%) received OPV, with a 95% CI for OPV coverage of 82 to 88%. The coverage before the campaigns initiated by ZMU was 52%.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the polio coverage of <5-year children has risen with the change in strategy. Door-to-door coverage strategy with the help of medical students proved effective in providing vaccination. No case of suspected poliomyelitis has been reported from the area since October 1999.