October 24 – World Polio Day: One Day. One Focus: ENDING POLIO NOW!
The 1st is – The Cold Chain
The Polio vaccine must be kept cool, or it risks losing its effectiveness. The cold chain system – made up of freezers, refrigerators, and cold boxes – was developed to allow Polio workers to store the vaccine and to transport it over long distances in extremely hot weather. In Pakistan, a Measles immunization program now relies on this same system. With the help of the cold chain, Sindh Province recently reached the goal of immunizing more than 7.3 million children against Measles.
The 2nd is – Microplanning
A critical component of immunizing more children against Polio, especially in remote regions, is microplanning. A microplan allows health workers to identify priority communities, address potential barriers, and to develop a plan for a successful immunization campaign by which the vaccine reaches every child. India has used this strategy to remain Polio-free for five years and now, the Mewat District of India is using microplanning to increase it’s rates of vaccination against Measles and Rubella.
The 3rd is – Surveillance
The Polio surveillance system helps detect new cases of Polio and determines where and how these cases originated. In Borno State of Nigeria, the surveillance system is now being used to find people with symptoms of Yellow Fever. Surveillance was one of the many tactics used during a 2018 Yellow Fever outbreak that prompted vaccinations of more than eight million people.
OCTOBER 24
WORLD POLIO DAY:
ONE DAY. ONE FOCUS:
ENDING POLIO NOW!
