Adapting Nepal's polio eradication programme.

Adapting Nepal's polio eradication programme. Bull World Health Organ. 2017 Mar 01;95(3):227-232 Authors: Paudel KP, Hampton LM, Gurung S, Bohara R, Rai IK, Anaokar S, Swift RD, Cochi S Abstract PROBLEM: Many countries have weak disease surveillance and immunization systems. The elimination of polio creates an opportunity to use staff and assets from the polio eradication programme to control other vaccine-preventable diseases and improve disease surveillance and immunization systems. APPROACH: In 2003, the active surveillance system of Nepal's polio eradication programme began to report on measles and neonatal tetanus cases. Japanese encephalitis and rubella cases were added to the surveillance system in 2004. Staff from the programme aided the development and implementation of government immunization policies, helped launch vaccination campaigns, and trained government staff in reporting practices and vaccine management. LOCAL SETTING: Nepal eliminated indigenous polio in 2000, and controlled outbreaks caused by polio importations between 2005 and 2010. RELEVANT CHANGES: In 2014, the surveillance activities had expanded to 299 sites, with active surveillance for measles, rubella and neonatal tetanus, including weekly visits from 15 surveillance medical officers. Sentinel surveillance for Japanese encephalitis consisted of 132 sites. Since 2002, staff from the eradication programme have helped to introduce si...
Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Bull World Health Organ Source Type: research