National Polio Day Campaign in a squatter settement through medical students

To provide maximum polio vaccination coverage to under-five [<5] year children of a squatter settlement through Ziauddin Medical University [ZMU] medical students. ZMU has established a Primary Health Care Program in a squatter settlement, which is predominantly inhabited by migrants from North Western Province of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The total population is approximately 20,000 and the proportion of <5 year children is nearly 19%. ZMU started Oral Polio Vaccination [OPV] campaigns from 1996; up to 1999. The OPV campaigns were confined to the National Immunization Days [NIDs]. A different strategy of "door-to-door" OPV services by medical students was undertaken in 1997. In December 1999 the polio vaccination coverage of <5-year children was evaluated through cluster sampling. This paper describes the steps for improving OPV coverage in Sikanderabad. The estimated number of <5 year children in the area is 4,600. In a cluster sample survey after the 1999 NID campaign out of 620 under 5 year children living in 429 households, 529 [85%] received OPV, with a 95% CI for OPV coverage of 82 to 88%. The coverage before the campaigns initiated by ZMU was 52%. The results indicate that the polio coverage of <5-year children has risen with the change in strategy. Door-to-door coverage strategy with the help of medical students proved effective in providing vaccination. No case of suspected poliomyelitis has been reported from the area since October 1999

Prevalence of HCV antibodies in haemodialysis population of Multan - Pakistan

To study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in the serum of haemodialysis population of Multan. Design: Study of the HCV antibodies in the maintenance hemodialysis population. Setting: Hemodialysis units of Nishtar Hospital Multan and Shifa Medical Complex Multan. Thirty-two patients who were on maintenance haemodialysis at these centres were included in the study. In thirty-two patients who were on maintenance haemodialysis, second generation ELISA was performed to detect the HCV antibodies. Out of these 32 patients 12 [37.5%] were anti HCV positive. There was significant positive correlation between prevalence of anti HCV and duration of haemodialysis. About 2/3 were being dialysed for more than 20 months. There was higher prevalence among the group having blood transfusions. This group also showed positive correlation between the number of transfusions and sero-positivity. Conclusions:- There is substantial anti HCV positivity in haemodialysis population.- There is positive correlation between anti HCV and duration of dialysis suggesting that factors within the dialysis unit might contribute to the spread of virus. Boold transfused group is dangerously exposed to the virus because the non HCV containing non-screened blood was transfused