National Polio Day campaign in a squatter settlement through medical students.
OBJECTIVE
To provide maximum polio vaccination coverage to under-five (<5) year children of a squatter settlement through Ziauddin Medical University (ZMU) medical students.


METHODS
ZMU has established a Primary Health Care Program in a squatter settlement, which is predominantly inhabited by migrants from North Western Province of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The total population is approximately 20,000 and the proportion of <5 year children is nearly 19%.


METHODS
ZMU started Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) campaigns from 1996; up to 1999. The OPV campaigns were confined to the National Immunization Days (NIDs). A different strategy of "door-to-door" OPV services by medical students was undertaken in 1997. In December 1999 the polio vaccination coverage of <5-year children was evaluated through duster sampling. This paper describes the steps for improving OPV coverage in Sikanderabad.


RESULTS
The estimated number of <5 year children in the area is 4,600. In a duster sample survey after the 1999 NID campaign out of 620 under 5 year children living in 429 households, 529 (85%) received OPV, with a 95% CI for OPV coverage of 82 to 88%. The coverage before the campaigns initiated by ZMU was 52%.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the polio coverage of <5-year children has risen with the change in strategy. Door-to-door coverage strategy with the help of medical students proved effective in providing vaccination. No case of suspected poliomyelitis has been reported from the area since October 1999.
Shaikh
I
I
Department of Community Health Sciences, Ziauddin Medical University, Karachi.
Omair
A
A
Inam
S N B
SN
Safdar
S
S
Kazmi
T
T
Anjum
Q
Q
D002675:Child, Preschool; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010154:Pakistan; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013337:Students, Medical; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*