Polio: The road to eradication threatened

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Choudhary Ahmed Hasan ◽  
Areeba Ahmed ◽  
Fariha Hasan ◽  
Admin
Keyword(s):  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The Road ◽  
Polio Vaccination ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Mass Immunization ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative ◽  
The Government

Madam, Despite being eradicated all over the world, Pakistan is one of the few countries still struggling to defeat the paralyzing enemy – polio [1]. As Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposed the already struggling health care system in Pakistan, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative announced to suspend all polio vaccination programs, to stop the spread of COVID-19 [2]. The suspension of mass-immunization campaigns has led to an upsurge in the polio cases, with 50 cases already reported in Pakistan so far [3]. Even though Pakistan was on the brink of becoming polio-free in 2017, with only a total of 8 cases reported, the anti-vaccination propaganda and lack of proper measures by the government the country saw a massive upsurge in polio cases in 2019 with the total number of cases being 147 [3]. As our healthcare sector has already been stretched thin with COVID-19 cases, the threat of another pandemic is the last thing the country needs. Pakistan is destined to see the birth of 5 million children in the next 9 months following recognition of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020 [4]. Thus, if the state does not take any step to heighten further the measures of preventing this likely emergency, hundreds and thousands of children may be at risk of getting infected with the crippling poliovirus. The spread of polio has been declared as an international public health concern [5]. The currently suspended immunization campaigns only add to the insult, which could cause an uprise in cases in those countries which have already been declared polio-free and can lead to travel restrictions for travel to and from Pakistan. With a weak healthcare system, and low budget, showing that the government spends just 1% of GDP on each person’s healthcare, it is unlikely for the country to be well-equipped to tackle this huge burden of polio cases whilst struggling to deal with COVID-19 [6].  Continuous...

scholarly journals Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of the First Wave From Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buddha Bahadur Basnet ◽  
Kiran Bishwakarma ◽  
Ramesh Raj Pant ◽  
Santosh Dhakal ◽  
Nashib Pandey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Status ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Hilly Region ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level ◽  
Male To Female

Unprecedented and unforeseen highly infectious Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a significant public health concern for most of the countries worldwide, including Nepal, and it is spreading rapidly. Undoubtedly, every nation has taken maximum initiative measures to break the transmission chain of the virus. This review presents a retrospective analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, analyzing the actions taken by the Government of Nepal (GoN) to inform future decisions. Data used in this article were extracted from relevant reports and websites of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) of Nepal and the WHO. As of January 22, 2021, the highest numbers of cases were reported in the megacity of the hilly region, Kathmandu district (population = 1,744,240), and Bagmati province. The cured and death rates of the disease among the tested population are ~98.00 and ~0.74%, respectively. Higher numbers of infected cases were observed in the age group 21–30, with an overall male to female death ratio of 2.33. With suggestions and recommendations from high-level coordination committees and experts, GoN has enacted several measures: promoting universal personal protection, physical distancing, localized lockdowns, travel restrictions, isolation, and selective quarantine. In addition, GoN formulated and distributed several guidelines/protocols for managing COVID-19 patients and vaccination programs. Despite robust preventive efforts by GoN, pandemic scenario in Nepal is, yet, to be controlled completely. This review could be helpful for the current and future effective outbreak preparedness, responses, and management of the pandemic situations and prepare necessary strategies, especially in countries with similar socio-cultural and economic status.

Polio vaccination, political authority and the Nigerian state

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisha P. Renne
Keyword(s):  
Oral Polio Vaccine ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Political Authority ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Childhood Diseases ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Wild Poliovirus ◽  
Polio Vaccination ◽  
International Ngos ◽  
Vaccination Campaigns

Vaccination campaigns rely on the political authority of the state to carry out public health programs for the benefit of its citizens. In sub-Saharan Africa where vaccination programs were introduced by health officials during colonial rule, subsequent postcolonial programs, such as interventions which focus on a single disease and are supported mainly by western international NGOs, may be viewed with suspicion by some. Rather than strengthening state control of its citizens, vaccination campaigns such as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative as implemented in northern Nigeria, may undermine state authority and control. With its initial focus on polio vaccination rather than on childhood diseases which parents considered more life-threatening, the initiative highlighted the federal government’s failure to provide basic primary health care. That the GPEI was funded by western international NGOs also led some Muslim parents, religious leaders, and medical professionals to question the safety of the oral polio vaccine and to refuse vaccination for their children. However, in 2013 their actions have been tempered by programs providing monetary awards to state governments and foodstuffs to cooperating mothers and in September 2015, WHO announced the interruption of wild poliovirus in Nigeria.

scholarly journals The eradication of polio in Bhutan in the context of global polio eradication

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-46
Author(s):  
Thinley Dorji ◽  
Tandi Dorji ◽  
Bjørn Melgaard
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Surveillance Network ◽  
High Coverage ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Health Gains ◽  
Polio Vaccination ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative ◽  
Public Health Programmes ◽  
Health Programmes

Bhutan has made tremendous health gains in public health, particularly in vaccine-preventable diseases. Polio was eradicated two years ahead of the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and only 12 years after the introduction of oral polio vaccination nationwide. The last case of clinical poliomyelitis in Bhutan was reported in 1986. Bhutan maintains a very high coverage of polio immunisation coupled with a strong health system and surveillance network. The success story in the elimination of polio provides examples for other successful public health programmes now and in the future.

scholarly journals Immunization of Children

2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Y. Udya Bhaskara Rao
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
World Health ◽  
Immunization Programs ◽  
World Health Assembly ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Control

Immunizcion has been one Of the great Of century medicine for prevention and control Of human and anirnal infectious diseases. The routine immunization programs against childhood Save proved to be very successful in both developed and developing countries. The Government Of India initiated the Expanded Præram on immunization (EPO in 1978 Of providirg immunization for c] the children against su voccine preventable diseases i.e. Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pettussis, Tuberculosis, Polio and Measles. The achievements are remarkable and the incidences of these six diæases hove brought down significantly 2000}. is administered to the mother either during her pregnancy or prior to during the years to protect new borne against neonatal tetanus. The global Polio eradication initiative began in 1988 World health Assembly, 1988) thrægh 2001 , the number of reported Polio cases in world has been reduced by more than 99 percent from an estirnated < 1000 caæs and number Of counties where pcEo is from 125 b I O (MMWR, 2002).

Corrupt Practices in the Public Health Sector: A Focus on Metropolitan Local Government Areas of Kano State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Mohammed Mustapha Namadi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Sector ◽  
The Government

Corruption is pervasive in Nigeria at all levels. Thus, despite recent gains in healthcare provision, the health sector faces numerous corruption related challenges. This study aims at examining areas of corruption in the health sector with specific focus on its types and nature. A sample size of 480 respondents aged 18 years and above was drawn from the eight Metropolitan Local Government Areas of Kano State, using the multistage sampling technique. The results revealed evidence of corrupt practices including those related to unnecessary-absenteeism, diversion of patients from the public health facilities to the private sector, diverting money meant for the purchase of equipment, fuel and diesel, bribery, stealing of medications, fraud, misappropriation of medications and unjustifiable reimbursement claims. In order to resolve the problem of corrupt practices in the healthcare sector, the study recommended the need for enforcement of appropriate code of ethics guiding the conduct of the health professionals, adoption of anti-corruption strategies, and strengthening the government monitoring system to check corruption in public health sector in order to ensure equitable access to healthcare services among the under-privileged people in the society.

Wyzwanie dla tożsamości międzynarodowej Macedonii – grecko macedoński spór o nazwę państwa

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-350
Author(s):  
Artur Adamczyk ◽  
Mladen Karadzoski
Keyword(s):  
The European Union ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Main Obstacle ◽  
The Road ◽  
Republic Of Macedonia ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Government ◽  
On The Road ◽  
International Identity ◽  
Of Greece

The main purpose of the article is to present how the Greek- -Macedonian naming dispute influenced the problem of implementation the international identity of Macedonia. Despite the initial problems of the government in Skopje related to determining their international identity, Macedonians managed to define the principles regarding the identification of a new state on the international stage. As a small country with limited attributes to shape its international position, Macedonia has basically been determined to seek guarantees for its existence and security in stable and predictable European international structures such as NATO and the European Union. The main obstacle for Macedonians on the road to Euro-Atlantic structures was the veto of Greece, a member of these organizations, resulting from Athens’ refusal to accept the name the Republic of Macedonia. The Prespa Agreement of 2018 gave a new impetus to the realization of the international identity of North Macedonia.

scholarly journals Some lessons for malaria from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matiana González-Silva ◽  
N. Regina Rabinovich
Keyword(s):  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Vaccine Virus ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Polio Virus ◽  
History Of ◽  
Eradication Campaign ◽  
Global Polio Eradication Initiative ◽  
Governance Strategy ◽  
Malaria Eradication ◽  
Near Future

AbstractThe Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched in 1988 with the aim of completely clearing wild polio viruses by 2000. More than three decades later, the goal has not been achieved, although spectacular advances have been made, with wild polio virus reported in only 2 countries in 2019. In spite of such progress, novel challenges have been added to the equation, most importantly outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio cases resulting from reversion to neurovirulence of attenuated vaccine virus, and insufficient coverage of vaccination. In the context of the latest discussions on malaria eradication, the GPEI experience provides more than a few lessons to the malaria field when considering a coordinated eradication campaign. The WHO Strategic Advisory Committee on Malaria Eradication (SAGme) stated in 2020 that in the context of more than 200 million malaria cases reported, eradication was far from reach in the near future and, therefore, efforts should remain focused on getting back on track to achieve the objectives set by the Global Technical Strategy against Malaria (2016–2030). Acknowledging the deep differences between both diseases and the stages they are in their path towards eradication, this paper draws from the history of GPEI and highlights relevant insights into what it takes to eradicate a pathogen in fields as varied as priority setting, global governance, strategy, community engagement, surveillance systems, and research. Above all, it shows the critical need for openness to change and adaptation as the biological, social and political contexts vary throughout the time an eradication campaign is ongoing.

scholarly journals Government management capacities and the containment of COVID-19: a repeated cross-sectional study across Chinese cities

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e041516
Author(s):  
Wenchao Li ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Junjian Yi
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Government Management ◽  
The Government ◽  
Laws And Policies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

ObjectivesBetter understanding of the dynamics of the COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus disease) pandemic to curb its spread is now a global imperative. While travel restrictions and control measures have been shown to limit the spread of the disease, the effectiveness of the enforcement of those measures should depend on the strength of the government. Whether, and how, the government plays a role in fighting the disease, however, has not been investigated. Here, we show that government management capacities are critical to the containment of the disease.SettingWe conducted a statistical analysis based on cross-city comparisons within China. China has undergone almost the entire cycle of the anticoronavirus campaign, which allows us to trace the full dynamics of the outbreak, with homogeneity in standards for statistics recording.Primary and secondary outcome measuresOutcome measures include city-specific COVID-19 case incidence and recoveries in China.ResultsThe containment of COVID-19 depends on the effectiveness of the enforcement of control measures, which in turn depends on the local government’s management capacities. Specifically, government efficiency, capacity for law enforcement, and the transparency of laws and policies significantly reduce COVID-19 prevalence and increase the likelihood of recoveries. The organisation size of the government, which is not closely related to its capacity for management, has a limited role.

scholarly journals Review of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002110096
Author(s):  
Shyh Poh Teo
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Phase 3 ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Safety Surveillance ◽  
Mass Immunization ◽  
United States Food ◽  
States Food

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently issued emergency use authorization for 2 mRNA vaccines for preventing COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus infections. BNT162b2 from Pfizer-BioNTech and mRNA-1273 by Moderna are planned for use in mass-immunization programs to curb the pandemic. A brief overview of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is provided, describing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA, how mRNA vaccines work and the advantages of mRNA over other vaccine platforms. The Pfizer-BioNTech collaboration journey to short-list mRNA vaccine candidates and finally selecting BNT162b2 based on safety data is outlined, followed by the Phase 3 study of BNT162b2 demonstrating 95% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 infections. Studies regarding mRNA-1273 (Moderna) are described, including extended immunogenicity data up to 119 days. The Phase 3 COVE study of mRNA-1273 eventually showed vaccine efficacy of 94.5%. Recommendations for future mRNA vaccine development are provided, including ongoing safety surveillance, evaluation in under-represented groups in previous studies and improving mRNA vaccine thermostability. Finally, further logistical considerations are required for manufacturing, storing, distribution and implementing mass vaccination programs to curb the pandemic.

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