The number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis infections is increasing and already accounts for 3,500 deaths daily, according to this report by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the first consolidated WHO report on viral hepatitis epidemiology, service coverage and product access, with improved data for action. …
The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Sindh, has decided to refocus the routine immunisation efforts to realise the goal of making Sindh a polio free province. Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, the Project Director of EPI, Sindh, Dr Salma Ali, claimed that efforts were being intensified to contain the polio …
This study attempts to analyse the effects of some selected demographic and socio-economic predictor variables on the likelihood of immunisation of a child for six vaccine-preventable diseases covered under the Universal Immunisation Programme. It focuses on immunisation coverage (a) at the all India level, (b) in rural and urban areas, …
Taking notice of resistance by some parents to immunisation of their children against polio, District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has constituted a three-member committee to ensure that polio drops are administered to all children up to five years of age throughout the district during a three-day anti-polio campaign beginning on …
Aiming to achieve historic success by total eradication of polio from Pakistan, the government is intensifying schedule of supplementary immunisation activities to include four rounds of National Immunisation Days (NIDs) and four sub-national activities in 2008. The next campaign will commence from March 4. This was stated by the Extended …
The immunization service delivery support (ISDS) model was initiated in Andhra Pradesh, India, in November 2003 with the aim of strengthening immunization services through supportive supervision. The ISDS model involves a well-established supervision system built upon the existing health infrastructure. March 2008
With 1.67 million cases of malaria and around 1,000 deaths last year, the government has changed the drug policy and directed states from January this year to introduce the ACT (artesunate and sulpha pyrimethamine) combination as the first line of anti-malarial drug treatment in chloroquine-resistant areas. Dr G S Sonal, …
Alerted by the detection of two new polio cases in Sindh, the provincial Expanded Programme on Immunisation has decided to intensify its operation and conduct a three-day sub-national immunisation campaign, beginning on March 4, throughout the province. Sindh EPI project director Dr Salma Kauser Ali told Dawn on Tuesday that …
Brazil is battling an outbreak of yellow fever. The haemorrhagic illness, which is endemic to the region, has already killed eight people since the beginning of the year, the health ministry confirmed on January 19. With this, the death toll from yellow fever crossed that of 2007, when only five …
india's National Polio Surveillance Programme reported 471 polio cases until December 14, 2007. Although this is lower than the 676 cases reported in 2006, there is reason for concern. There has been a sharp rise in the number of polio cases caused by a particular virus strain
The State of the World’s Children 2008 assesses the state of child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children today. These issues serve as sensitive barometers of a country’s development and wellbeing and as evidence of its priorities and values. Investing in the health of children and …
The final report of the third National Family Health Survey (nfhs-3) is out, but doubts remain whether it will be used to improve national health policies. Although 100-odd research papers have been written using data from the previous two national family health surveys
the Union ministry of health and family welfare has given the go-ahead for including an expensive vaccine into the country's immunisation programme despite the absence of scientific data. A meeting of the national technical advisory group on immunization (ntagi) held in July 16, 2007, decided that Haemophilus influenzae b (hib) …
In India, cervical cancer kills around 80,000 women each year and 120,000 new cases emerge. This is in stark contrast to the US, for example, where only 4,000 women die annually from the disease. The most common explanation for this difference is that developed nations have good screening programmes. When …
the polio vaccine administered at present may be unsafe. There is a controversy brewing over its potency. Experts in India say that the monovalent oral vaccine (mopv1) is being used without assessing its safety. It was introduced in the country in 2005 after it was given a fast track licence …
AT the time of independence, India faced the twin problems of acute and chronic undernutrition of its children. This was essentially a result of low dietary intake because of poverty and low purchasing power, high prevalence of infection because of poor access to safe drinking water, sanitation and health care …
Children in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) will now be vaccinated every month against polio. This was recommended by the India Expert Advisory Group (IEAG), at a meeting held between December 11-12, 2006, to stem the rise of polio cases. IEAG emphasises that the programme is not a failure. They attribute …
function map() { var popurl="image/20061231/25-map.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=550,height=600,scrollbars=yes") } Cripple effect Moradabad district in western Uttar Pradesh (up) holds a dubious distinction: this year it has registered the highest number of polio cases of any district in the country. When this magazine went to press, officials there were gearing up for a …
