HEALTH-ZIMBABWE: Fighting the Spread of Polio - Again

HARARE, Jun 25 (IPS) - Richard Chirew’s prominent stoop makes him look older than his 30 years. He is a resident of Kambuzuma, a dusty and poor Harare suburb where he survives as a street vendor.

He has spent the last 10 years of his life selling sweets and cigarettes on a street corner. Sadly he did not take up this trade by choice. He cannot do any other challenging job because of his physical condition. He became paralysed as a child because he was not vaccinated for polio after birth.

‘‘My mother died just after I was born and I had no one to take care of me until I was taken to Jairos Jiri where they tried to treat me for polio,’’ Chirewa told IPS. Jairos Jiri is a Zimbabwean organisation that takes care of the disabled.

This month Chirewa witnessed groups of primary health care givers conducting a national immunization campaign against polio in his neighbourhood. He is glad that something is being done to eliminate polio.

You only need to spend a little bit of time with Chirewa to notice his strong determination. His eyes are bright with enthusiasm when he talks about doing business. His friends call him ‘‘boss’’. He does not regard himself as handicapped anymore and goes about his business with confidence.

‘‘I was not immunized because immunization was not available to all families when I was four years old. I would be willing to be involved in the immunization campaign to ensure that children are immunised because there is no cure for polio. Once you are paralysed, that’s it,’’ he said.

The government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) earlier this month conducted a countrywide immunisation programme aimed at eliminating polio and other diseases to prevent children from having the same experience as Chirewa and others. It is a continuation of similar efforts over the past few years.

‘‘These nationwide campaigns are the single most important support towards reducing child illnesses and deaths in Zimbabwe,’’ said UNICEF's head of health in Zimbabwe, Colleta Kibassa.

The programme has seen many mothers across the country taking their children to centres around the country for immunisation. About two million children were vaccinated during the week-long programme, which was jointly implemented by UNICEF and the ministry of health and child welfare.

Children were not only immunised against polio but also against diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and hepatitis B. They also received vitamin A supplements.

Apart from Zimbabwe, an increase has been reported in polio cases in neighbouring countries such as Botswana and Namibia.

‘‘The campaign in Zimbabwe is on track to meet its bold targets and is vital for child survival amid the challenges facing Zimbabwe today,’’ said UNICEF country representative Festo Kavishe according to a statement. Although Zimbabwe was declared a polio-free country in 1999, the country is presently going through difficult economic times.

The vaccination campaign has come at a critical time as families in Zimbabwe are under increasing pressure from the record high inflation, unemployment and AIDS orphan numbers. The health system has virtually collapsed because of the lack of medicines and the flight of health practitioners to other countries.

The effort targeted parts of the country where health facilities are not easily accessible and was aimed at all children under the age of five. They received the first round of polio vaccinations in a two-phase campaign.

Funds from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Canada's International Development Agency (CIDA) and the government of Ireland made the roll-out possible.

A total amount of about one million US dollars was spent on vaccines, logistics and payment of staff. A host of health workers volunteered and received training and other support from the ministry of health and child welfare and UNICEF.

Long winding queues formed at various schools, shops and churches which had been turned into public health facilities.

Because of this and other campaigns, vitamin A coverage has been boosted from less than 10 percent in 2005 to over 80 percent today, according to the ministry of health and child welfare. Overall immunisation coverage, which had dropped by almost 50 percent, has once again reached more than 70 percent.

Much of this success is due to the hard work of neighbourhood health committees and religious and traditional leaders who have been at the forefront of encouraging mothers to bring their children for vaccination.

‘‘Our aim must remain to reach all of Zimbabwe's children," said Kibassa.

UNICEF, with the assistance of the UK and Japan, has also been providing support to the Zimbabwe Expanded Programme on Immunisation (ZEPI). This has included the procurement of vaccines, cooling equipment for vaccine storage and technical support to the health workers. (END/2007)
source:www.ipsnews.net