Polio Drive Improvement Through Technology

Polio Drive Improvements Through Technology

The World Health Assembly (WHA), the annual meeting of the Ministers of Health of all WHO member states, first committed itself to polio eradication in 1988. 350000 cases /year in 125endemic countries in 1988. The assembly called for the worldwide eradication of the disease by 2000. It marked the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), which was spearheaded jointly by national governments, the WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and UNICEF.

According to Pakistan’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), 27% deaths among children under five years are caused by diseases that could be prevented through vaccinations. These diseases include Poliomyelitis (also known as Polio), Neonatal Tetanus, Measles, Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis-B, Pneumonia, Meningitis and Tuberculosis. As part of their mission to eradicate polio, the EPI enlisted the help of the PITB to address vulnerabilities in the programme. These relate to less geographic coverage and performance of field vaccinators.

The Polio Monitoring Information System (PMIS) developed by Punjab Information Technology board (PITB) has reported vaccination of 3.5 million children in all districts across the Province of Punjab during the past two years. The joint efforts by Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) and PMIS a visible decrease noticed in the number of children dispensed with polio vaccination. HIMS helps in data record as (EMR) Electronic Medical Record to ensure all Punjab prevailiance cases which are decreases. HIMS integrated with AFP & WHO to monitor all Data. The Stats were verified by WHO and UNICEF. These numbers are monitored through the smart phones installed with the application to monitor the polio campaign. The application enables the local administration as well as partner organizations like WHO and UNICEF to access real time field data. The more than 9000 handsets have been distributed in High Risk districts.

In a last push to eradicate virus, Punjab is plotted a mobile application in seven districts of Punjab to identify and vaccinate children possibly missed, refusal cases, zero dose children and children not available during and after the campaign in polio Immunisation drives by the help of Punjab information Technology Board( PITB) This application can be downloaded on smart phones and vaccinator teams uploaded all data of vaccinated child , Uploaded data easily verified with dash board data, there is no chance to miss children’s during polio campaign. This application helps to increases the Attendance of field workers in the Punjab from 36% to 94% in 2016 and geographical coverage improved from 25% to 88% in the same period as a result of this intervention.

By this application & HIMS we have improved our healthcare system with efficiency. To polio free Pakistan we request Prime Minister of Pakistan to extend these applications to all five provinces of Pakistan. PITB chairman and all PITB Health Team working hard to eradicate polio free Pakistan and making health facilities more efficient according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi & Health Minister Dr. Yasmeen Rashid.