Polio End Game: Simple Strategies to Eradicate Polio From Pakistan

Volume 8 Issue 3 August - October 2018

Research Paper

Polio End Game: Simple Strategies to Eradicate Polio From Pakistan

Sumera Aziz Ali*, Shama Razzaq **, Hasan Nawaz Tahir***, Yousaf Ali****, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani*****, Zafar Fatmi******

*Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

**-****Fellow Resident, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

*****Senior Instructor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

******Professor and Unit Lead in Environmental, Occupational Health & Injuries, Department of Community Health Sciences at Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Ali, S. A., Razzaq, S., Tahir, H. N., Ali, Y., Tikmani, S. S., and Fatmi, Z.(2018). Polio End Game: Simple Strategies To Eradicate Polio From Pakistan. i-manager’s Journal on Nursing, 8(3), 11-16. https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.8.3.14587

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the two countries where polio is still endemic, other is Afghanistan. Several innovative and successful strategies have been applied in different countries around the world to eliminate polio recently. Several reports in the literature have highlighted possible barriers for eliminating polio from Pakistan. It has been identified that weak health system is one of the major challenges in Pakistan. Hence, this paper has highlighted gaps in the system and suggested strategies to eradicate polio from Pakistan. The major barriers are lack of political commitment and governance which can be overcome using a yellow card system and contracting out service delivery, which shows success in local settings and improvement in the primary health care system. Maintenance of cold chain issues could be managed through regular and effective monitoring of vaccine in the field. Safety and security as well as a delay in incentives are some of the barriers that can be overcome by providing the staff security and incentivized through pay for performance mechanism. Moreover, myths and misconceptions can be overcome with support from religious leaders and scholars. Investment in these strategies would reap benefits for Pakistan and global initiative for polio eradication.