The Uganda Ministry of Health is to embark on house-to-house polio supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) in the 22 districts in the Albertine region and West Nile following a new polio virus threat in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan.
Ms. Irwasi Betty, who is coordinating the rapid response for the polio outbreak,says the ministry will conduct the highly monitored house-to-house immunization between 3rd and 19th December. It will occur in two fazes, the first ending on 5th December while the second begins on 17th.
Ms Irwasi said many local government statistics on polio immunization figures have been ‘misleading and exaggerated’ while routine immunization has been poorly done at a local level. She also says free movement of people across the boarders of Southern Sudan and DR Congo pose a risk of new polio infections.
“We have had new polio infections coming up; we shall thus undertake a new system of immunization of door-to-door which shall cover most of the households. Basing on statistics we have, routine immunization against polio has been so poor and some children may be living with the virus before they experience paralysis. There is also a very poor detection rate for new polio infections,” Ms. Irwasi told journalists while conducting a training for health workers who will participate in the immunization process in Ntungamo district.
New polio infections were reported in Bugiri district last year while a new case related to the one in Bugiri was reported in neighboring Kenya this year (2011). More three new infections were reported in Uganda in 2010.
Ms. Irwasi says despite the high rate of communication on immunization and high figures in local areas for supplementary immunization exercises, Uganda still has the highest number of unimmunized children in the world. She says many mothers are leaving hospitals with newborn babies before they are immunized due to traditional and cultural beliefs.
In June this year, the World Health Organization announced the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in Uganda. However, Ms. Irwasi says there has been a low turn out of mothers coming fro immunization for tetanus at health units and hospitals, which threatens to increase the number of new cases.
The immunization exercise shall be carried out in districts of Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Marcha/Terego, Adjumani, Arua, Zombo, Nebbi, and Buliissa, Hoima, Kibale, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo, Kabarole, Kasese, Rubirizi, Kanungu, Rukungiri, Ntungamo, Isingiro , Kabale and Kisoro targeting children under five with an aim of reaching all the unimmunized children at household level.