ORIGINAL ARTICLE: A Study of Various Factors Determining the Quality of Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance of Beed District

• Main Author: Swapnil Vishnu Lale
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University 2012-01-01
• Series: Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University
• Subjects: Surveillance; Polio myelitis; Quality
• Online Access: http://www.jkimsu.com/volume1no1/jkimsu-2012-volume1-no1-p-30-37.pdf

Background: Surveillance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) is an important component of polio eradication campaign. In Beed district,this is being done since 1998 with the cooperation of national polio surveillance project of the World Health Organization (WHO). Aims and Objectives: To review various factors, which determine the quality of surveillance. They include timeliness of reporting units, taluka wise distribution, month wise distribution, monitoring of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis rate, percentage of notification within 10 days, percentage of stool samples sent for virological study within 14 days of onset of paralysis & reasons for delay in stool collection. Detection of non-polio enterovirus in stool cultures is an indicator of quality of the reverse cold chain. Materials & Method: Surveillance network consists of 2 very high priority, 4 high priority, 13 low priority reporting units & 25 informer units. Reporting units are expected to submit weekly reports. A total of 315 cases of AFP were investigated during last 10 years. Virological studies are conducted at Haffkines Institute,Mumbai. Results & Conclusion: Timeliness of reporting units varied from 77 to 99%. Zero reporting blocks went down from 2-3 to 1. More cases of AFP were seen in months of July, august & September. Non polio AFP rate ranged from 1.38 to 7.35%. Percentage of notification within 10 days of onset was between 72 to 94 %. Percentage of stoolsamples collected within 14 days of onset of paralysis varied from 73 to 86%. A close vigilance on all these factors, at all levels ofadministration is essential to ensure that no case of polio is missed out.