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Spl polio vaccination drive from August

NAIMUL HAQ
A special drive to immunise children against polio will begin this August in the 'high-risk' areas, especially those close to Indian borders.
On May 6, the National Immunisation Day committee, chaired by Health Minister Dr Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain, decided on holding Sub-National Immunisation Days (SNIDs) to cover all districts in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions and some districts of Rajshahi Division. In addition, all city corporations and major municipalities will also come under the special polio vaccination campaign, officials at the health ministry said yesterday.
"This is part of the global initiative to eradicate polio," said an official of the extended programme of immunisation (EPI).
The drive will target 42 districts, four city corporations and 91 municipalities. The first Sub-National Immunisation Day will be on August 10 and the second on September 14, this year. Next year, the regular National Immunisation Day will be on January 18 and March 1.
"The risk of importation of wild
poliovirus from India is very high. Bangladesh still remains at a risk of polio transmission, although the country has not identified wild polio since August 22, 2000," Dr David Sniadack, WHO consultant in Bangladesh told The Daily Star yesterday.
Dr Sniadack also said, "SNIDs will be extended depending on what epidemiological situation is in the coming year."
All children under five should be vaccinated on the immunisation days even if they have been previously vaccinated.
Last year, India identified 268 cases of wild polio and this year so far 38. The areas in Bihar where the cases were identified are only 50km off the Bangladesh border.
The campaign will require 40 million doses of polio vaccines to complete. However, there is a shortfall of 1.35 million dollars to pay for the vaccines. The WHO and Unicef are looking for additional donors to meet the need.
Polio is the most serious disease
caused by poliovirus. In its most severe form, polio causes paralysis of the muscles of legs, arms and respiratory system.
There are three different types of polioviruses, all members of the viral family of enteroviruses (viruses that infect the intestinal tract).
In 20 per cent of the cases, the virus will enter the brain and result in a much greater risk of death.
Any child under 15 that develops sudden onset of floppy paralysis should be brought to hospital and reported to the health authorities.
Poliovirus causes no apparent illness or very mild illness in about 90 per cent of the people infected. However, the infected people are still able to spread the virus to other people.
Once a person is infected with poliovirus, there is no treatment available to kill the virus. The only treatments are medications for pain and hot packs to soothe the muscles and intervention if the muscles responsible for breathing fail -- for instance, a ventilator to take over the work of breathing.