OPTIMIZING THE POLIO INFRASTRUCTURE for VPD SURVEILLANCE

I feel good (being student of Public health) that I am one of the influencers for the following decision at the national level (my inspiration being my teacher in Public health). The initiative will begin from July 2009.

Following is a paragraph from national surveillance bulletin about the integration of preferred VPDs in AFP surveillance:


"The Federal EPI Cell, Ministry of Health Pakistan initiates to optimize the benefits of elaborated Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance system to support the surveillance of measles and neonatal tetanus. The reporting of suspected measles and neonatal tetanus cases is being added in the weekly zero reporting form which is a part of the existing AFP surveillance system. The forms for the health facilities (see below) and collation forms which are used by the district and provincial teams have been modified accordingly. A total of 4,419 health facilities within both the public and private sectors have been chosen as weekly zero reporting sites throughout the country. Analysis conducted in 2009 has shown that a total of 28% of the reported AFP cases have been from the private sector. This reinforces the importance of engaging both the public and private sectors in surveillance and immunization activities.

A mechanism is being instituted through which reporting of the above diseases through routine reporting and other information system like HMIS (Health Management Information System) will be monitored and compared with the objective of an eventual integration."

Dr Zubair! Wish You Good Luck in This New Experince....
If you Could Also add Hypothyroidism in the new proforma,it will be much applauded.

Dr Nayyar will help you in the Standard Case Definition of the Later.it will be more Correct and Experince based than your WHO Definition.

The Case Definition is simple and consists of the following criteria

1) Enrolled in MPH Program
2) Cannot speak English properly
3) Stares blankly at the teacher
4) Profound confusion in midterm exam
5) Always complains notes are not available on website

If this criteria is present, it is a straight away case of CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM and the person should be immediately notified to the WHO

Ha ha ha. Well. I wonder if it is considered at some point in time to change the name of Hypothyroidism after A-University ...... something like Abasynism etc.

Yes, exactly....Clustering of cases.....Can be called Hypothyroidism- A

By the way dear brother Abu zar, you being the HMIS person can play a role in the utilization of this initiative in your district. I am sure you are going to follow it (unlike the sluggish sarkari behaviour of others) . Even sometimes our WHO surveillance officers are sluggish; please ensure these reports are glanced upon weekly to notice any unusual trend and no cases go un-responded. (stool samples for AFP and blood samples for suspected measles to be despatched to NIH Islamabad).

Recently, measles outbreak was confirmed by the laboratory in South Waziristan where some 15 suspected measles cases were reported; samples were collected from 7 of them and Laboratory confirmd 6 of them. I will share the precise information once I get an authentic report.

I think its us who have to initiate some change if there has to occur some. Playing one's small individual role can make the collective achievements occur.

Thanks

Sir,
This is some unique clustering. Always a place (A-university) is clustered with cases of hypothyroidism. A clustering in space - throughout the year. And as you once said in the class, the number of clustered cases is increasing semester by semester with the passage of time LOL

and one more Criterion:
Remains absent for one to two days after the Result is announced.
Zubair Yes,I will support you in this mission.

This time I had to remove the result because in a span of 5 days I got around 500 emails from my friends inside Pakistan and abroad, saying extreme "Laanat" on those who failed. I guess a world out there now knows these world class Hypos and they are very eager to meet them. One of my classfellow currently in UK has offered to keep them in a museum in UK, so people can pay tribute to the Hypos

These Hypos are our National Asset,and cannot Hand-over to the Europeans.

The way their population is expanding, soon we will be seeing a Hypo sitting on the head of another Hypo, Khar da pasa Khar

Khar da pasa Khar
Nu bia kho landenay khar ba merr (Dead) she.