Approaching Days of Tranquility

Afghanistan Polio Eradication Initiative

February 04 08

BackgroundAfghanistan has the experience of practicing Daysof Tranquility in the past• Health is neutral & each Afghan child has the

right to be immunized• In 1990s, Days of Tranquility

– Announced for one week & observed for more than a month

– Campaign Posters were displayed on the Tanks – Military vehicles were used for transportation of the

vaccine & teams in difficult to approach areas

• Taliban & Northern Alliance frontline remained quiet during the polio days

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2004

NSL1= 2

NSL3= 2

NSL1

NSL3

1999

NSL1= 45

NSL3= 18

P1 & P3 Poliovirus Isolates Afghanistan 1999, 04-07

NSL1 isolate from 02, Healthy Children, September 13, 05

2005

NSL1=29

NSL3= 2 Data up to 26 Jan 2008

NSL1=5

NSL3=4

2006 2007

NSL1=06

NSL3=11

2-3 year H-H Vaccination polio cases reduced to 04 &

geographically restricted to the south

Phase 01• In second half of 2005, P1 Outbreak started

in the Southern region• Program requested a meeting of both the

UNICEF & the WHO Country Representatives– Briefed on the polio situation and gravity of the

impact of security on campaign quality– Joint letter was sent to HM & SRSG

• The HM in a Cabinet meeting & SRSG during his weekly meeting with the President separately briefed the President on the deteriorating polio situation in the country

Phase 01• The President Hamid Karzai directed the N S Council• NSC was briefed on Polio by the WHO & UNICEF CRs

together• Policy Action Group chaired by the President was given

briefing on Polio Situation by the UNICEF & the WHO– Polio Action Group representing cross sectoral ministries was

constituted– Governor of Kandahar & Helmand were directed by the

President office to lead the process.

• Efforts concluded, that the Anti Government Element’s leadership is not visible to whom to talk

• Military started responding: campaign dates were changed on the advise of HM. But military operation was also delayed and started exactly on the campaign time

UN Security Map & Polio Confirmed Cases (Jan, 2008)

Very High Risk Areas

High Risk Areas

Medium Risk Areas

Low Risk Area

Date up to 27 Jan 2008

NSL3=11NSL1=06

Phase 02

• Dr David Heymann, Advisor to WHO DG on Polio, visited Afghanistan – Meeting with ISAF/NATO & their Civilian

Representative– Joint MoPH, UNICEF, WHO press briefing in

MoPH and appealed to all the parties of the Conflict

– AGE Spokesperson responded & called to media from unknown place and announced their support for the polio eradication in Afghanistan

Phase 02• The WHO DG & the RD visited Kabul

– Meeting the President Hamid Karzai, HM & Advisor to President

– Meeting with Deputy Commander ISAF / NATO

– Progress in the stance: Military agreed on to have Days of De-conflict

– Campaign days and areas were shared but still Operations were conducted during the campaign days

Phase 03• Briefing on Polio at the ISAF / NATO HQ

Brussels by Chris Maher & Tangermann– Promise to keep was the de-conflict situation

• Country Team explored the possibility of approaching AGE– HM was briefed on the Concept– With the advise & approval of HM, ICRC was briefed

on polio situation and the risks. – ICRC agreed to support PE activities in Afghanistan

• Taliban issued the Letter of Support, announced in the media and communicated their field formations

• Letter was found very useful helping polio staff in the field & in improving access to the areas & children

– UN Peace day highlighted the need of DOT

Letter of Support from AGE is issued for each campaign separately since September 07

August 2007 September 2007

1-24% 25-49% 50-74% 75-100%% of missed children in the district

Comparison of Children not accessed by vaccination teams Analysis by District, Southern Region Aug & Sept 07

80,000 more children Accessed, not covered

for one year

Results: Improved access & maintainedSouthern Afghanistan, Dec. 07 & Jan. 08

Dec-07 SNID

Not Accessed because of active fight (59271)

Not accessed because of AGE refusal (23348)

Not accessed because of management (3959)

REC File 27 Jan 2008

Total inaccessible 86,578 (8%)

Completely inaccessible Partially inaccessible Accessible

Jan-08 SNID

Not Accessed because of active fight (7,428)

Not accessed because of AGE refusal (7,455)

Not accessed because of management (792)

Total inaccessible 39,865 (3%)

Snow (24,190

Total inaccessible 37,329 (3%)

Window of Opportunity

Strategy

Continuous Technical Inputs• Focused District Strategy was initiated in the

security compromised districts to minimize the affect of security– Village based team, adding SM at Cluster level, more

involvement of community & close monitoring

• Staggering Approach– Dividing the high risk districts in to two zones &

placing all the human resource in one and shifting to the other later

• Providing additional staff from the other regions

The Way Forward• There is a definite progress towards understanding for

vaccination & polio eradication on DOT• We are in a transition from Days of De-conflict to DOT• AGE, party of the Conflict is approachable through ICRC • Awaiting the ISAF/NATO support on Days of Tranquility• Efforts are in progress

– The Advisor to the President on Health is keeping this issue alive in NSC meetings

– USAID meeting the ISAF/NATO Commander on January 31

• Looking forward to the DOT when we can supervise & monitor the campaign and vaccination teams can access every house & access each child and do the vaccination safely ensuring achieving the goal.