In 1988, the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate polio worldwide by 2000. However, only 2 of the 3 wild poliovirus (WPV) strains have been eradicated.
To eradicate polio, every child in every household must be vaccinated against the disease. This requires a high level of political will and commitment, as well as continued support from donors and partners. Prevention of diseases is accomplished by vaccination, and this is especially true for polio, which has no cure. However, eradication can only be achieved with the right approach and necessary resources.
Polio, a highly infectious viral disease that can result in paralysis, disability and death, mainly affects young children under 5 years old. Currently, polio is endemic in only 2 countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the international environment within which humankind operates, making it possible, now more than ever, to eradicate diseases such as polio. We saw the vigilance of health authorities during the Covid 19 pandemic, which helped prevent outbreaks. This can be replicated for other diseases. The adaptation of digital solutions to tackle Coronavirus was also paramount in curbing misinformation about the virus and the controversial vaccine. These methods have equally been adapted for other communicable diseases such as influenza. We are now able to track the progress of the virus in real time and determine its spread, thus allowing us to better plan vaccination campaigns. In addition, we can monitor the effectiveness of these campaigns by comparing them with each other. This will allow us to determine whether there is a need for additional immunization efforts or if we should focus on other areas.
One way to eradicate polio would be by tracking routine immunization.The tracking of routine immunization has been a major breakthrough in the fight against polio. In Pakistan, this method was employed to identify areas where children were not receiving their vaccines. This allowed health workers to reach out to these communities and ensure that they were immunized properly.
At IntelliSOFT, we offer bespoke digital health data tools that can be adapted for tracking polio vaccine records in real time to determine its spread, thus allowing us to better plan vaccination campaigns. In addition, we can monitor the effectiveness of these campaigns by comparing them with other digital vaccine records.
The second method of eradicating polio is by monitoring the spread of the virus. This method is also essential in eradication efforts because it allows health workers and scientists to identify areas where there are large amounts of people infected with polio. By identifying these areas, they can be targeted for vaccination campaigns that will hopefully eliminate the disease from those regions.
IntelliSOFT’s digital services can be used in the fight against polio to enable tracking of children who were not present at their vaccination sessions, improving the quality of data to allow for better monitoring and evaluation, and reducing the cost of running campaigns while also providing additional information on where the nearest vaccination centers are located.
Adaptation of standard-based digital solutions in the fight against polio can have positive impacts such as enabling tracking of children who were not present at their vaccination sessions, improving the quality of data to allow for better monitoring and evaluation, and reducing the cost of running campaigns while also providing additional information on where the nearest vaccination centers are located.
Adopting immunization registries can refine the quality and reliability of vaccination data, as well as data accessibility and use at all levels of the health system within country governments while also reducing the time spent on data analysis and reporting. They can also help countries to better understand the status of their immunization programs, including identifying gaps and bottlenecks in service delivery, monitoring coverage levels over time, and evaluating program performance against targets. They can also provide a platform for collecting data on vaccination campaigns and other forms of supplementary immunization activities that are not routinely reported through routine systems. Immunization registries are a powerful tool that can be used to improve vaccine delivery and increase immunization coverage and aid in the eradication of polio.
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