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HEALTH INTERACTIVE WITH DR AMINU MAGASHI Importation of Polio Vaccine by Kano: Pros and Cons The much
talk about the suspension of polio eradication activities and campaign
by Kano State government may soon be over, going by the reported
pronouncement made by the State Honorable Commissioner Of Health, Dr
Sanda Mohammed in a story published by Daily Trust of Monday, 17th May,
and 2004 entitled "Kano State purchases polio vaccine. That week
the commissioner together with three others were in Indonesia to
purchase polio vaccine to be administered on the children below the age
of five years in the State with the aim of putting a final push to the
much published and popularized Global Polio Eradication come 2004/05. The
pronouncement , I am sure will go along way in convincing even doubting
Thomases about the commitment and sincerity of the State by kicking
against the use of the polio vaccine being distributed by the Federal government which the
State committee on polio and others had
discovered contaminants earlier on. And also the same pronouncement has
provided a hope for the entire globe to condemn polio virus in to a
history book, if at all what World Health Organization had
reveled in the past on the State that "Kano remains the major
reservoir of polio virus in Africa and threatens the return and
emergence of polio cases in other African countries "will make any
meaning at all. Our
discourse today will attempt to examine the pros and cons on the
importation of polio vaccine by the State government. In my articles
" Is The Polio Controversy Over In Nigeria, 1 And 2 Published On
23rd And 30th March, 2004 respectively, Kano State was reportedly
willing to accept fresh vaccine devoid of contamination from Federal government, and at the same time was then considering
purchasing its own oral polio vaccine from some Asian countries. I
argued that the benefit of purchasing its own vaccine was only on the
short term basis, just like what we are witnessing currently, the
importation has restored confidence of the electorates on the State government's dedication to their welfare and yearning and equally for
the State to resist all form of intimidation and pressure due to its
conviction is another plus and of course not dancing to the gallery as
has been demonstrated by other States who hitherto were vehemently
resisting. Even on the
part of International Donor Agencies (IDAs), I am sure they will feel
more comfortable to partner with the State for better result and
success. Looking at long term benefit and implication, I'm not sure the State
stand to gain more by importing vaccines. As we all know, polio
eradication is an international health agenda and programme, it is a
continuous process and if by the end of 2004/05, the world is able to
achieve polio free environment, that is not the end of global
immunization programme, but rather another disease will be identified
and selected for eradication and the cycle goes on and on. Going by
that, the State may not be in a good position and have the financial
resources and capabilities to be purchasing vaccines which is highly
capital-intensive, and sustainability will definitely be a problem and
that policy may be seen as an excess legacy and baggage for other
administration to come. On another angle, already the State has prove a
strong point in a struggle for an identity and has become a pace setter State
for other States to replicate but still not with standing,
as I proposed earlier on, instead of repeatedly purchasing vaccines, the
State to purchase a modern State of the art testing equipment and
facilities for vaccines and drugs, that way, alone is a check and
balance and a challenge to Federal government and IDAs to make sure
that what they are providing to the State is safe, because with
the testing machine, they are sure of their donation going under
scrutiny. And also it will help the State to always respond to emergency
problems of contamination even from other local manufactures of food
stuff s and drugs and it will ensure timely response to outbreaks and
epidemics. One area
that is worth mentioning and highly encouraging and commendable is the
fact that the IDAs on polio eradication notably, WHO, UNICEF, Rotary
International, BASICS, JHU/CCP and DFID are still willing and ready to
partner with the State to rid it of poliomyelitis, the fact that,
they have not with drawn their support despite the stand of the State shows maturity and their readiness to learn from past imbroglio, so that
at the end, the voice- less children will have succor in our
impoverished Africa. On that
readiness by IDAs, I really call on them to work with the State to
fashioned out modalities of operation, social mobilization and advocacy
campaign which will ensure massive turn out when the programme is
flagged off, this time around we expect advocacy not of course
marketing, it should be sustain and sensitive to the people culture and
religion not devising desperate measures and do
or die affair as we witnessed before. Working with the media will be of
paramount importance, both print and electronic, engaging in debate,
discussions, jingles, announcements and features writing and also
partnering with opinion leaders, religious and traditional rulers and
civil societies and NGOs, that way every body will be mobilize for
the final push. While
concluding this write up, to take us back to the genesis of the polio
controversy, with the view of looking at the roots for effective
planning and research and implementation. I will like to
confidently say that, the genesis of the controversy is not the
suspicion of contamination by HIV/AIDS or anti fertility agents, such
suspicion is an EFFECT OF A CAUSE. The cause of the controversy is the
apparent neglect of other immunisable and preventable childhood killer
diseases by both States, Federal government and IDAs, while parent
are witnessing how those disease are killing and ravaging and deforming
their children with little effort by stakeholders to put a check on
them, on another hand, and stakeholders are aggressively busy talking
and programming house to house approach to chase polio out of the
country. And the annoying part of the story is that when such polio
immunization programme coincided with outbreak of say, measles, cholera
or meningitis, these same lovers of children would turn their faces the
other side as if all is well. It is this attitude that led people to
begin to examine the polio vaccines and suspected foul play which has
put the entire country in this preventable and avoidable mess. While I am
not saying that other diseases should receive equal funding and
attention like polio, but however at least let there be human face in
tackling them, let us see WHO, UNICEF and other IDAs and Federal and States and local governments begin to respect Cape Down Declaration On
Measles and many more declarations. I believe if we inculcate the habit
of dedication, transparency, honesty and sincerity of purpose and proper
advocacy and implementation, we would not only contribute our quota in
making the country safer for children but it will be for all. |