Healthcare as an economic concern

By Sadia Rashid

“A healthy population is a pre-requisite for successful development" this was the conclusion that John Strauss and Duncan Thomas came to in their study, "Health, nutrition and economic development" published in the journal of economic literature 36 (1998).

A healthy economy is dependent on a healthy workforce. This means, health institutions, organisations and above all delivery services should be effective and efficient. Any failings here will deprive the country from achieving economic prosperity for its citizens.

Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, Nigeria and India, are few of the countries remaining in the world in which polio cases are still present. In Pakistan, around 50 cases of polio were reported this year out of which 14 were from the province of Sindh. With countries such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka being able to successfully eradicate the polio virus shows that with effort Pakistan has the ability to do the same. So far, there have been 65 National Immunization Days (NIDÕs) in Pakistan, in which 75 cases of polio have still been reported till October 2008. While in China, the polio virus was fully eradicated after holding only 4 NIDÕs.

There have been 2 NIDÕs in 2008 in which 32.1 million children were vaccinated in the January campaign. According to an official in the procurement department in Sindh, it costs around Rs.1100 to Rs.1200 to vaccinate one child. This includes the cost of acquiring the vaccine, transportation cost, health worker wages, training and storage costs. Even after such high costs the need for multiple doses arise due to improper storage conditions for the vaccine. Power shortages and no backup generators cause the vaccine to sit for hours in high temperatures which reduces the potency of the vaccine. The following steps need to be taken in order to eliminate polio from the country.

(1) Proper storage: This will enable the vaccine to keep its original potency and reduce the need for multiple doses. The health department needs to arrange for proper storage conditions and power backups in case of power shortages.

(2) Proper training: The health workers and volunteers are also responsible for the proper storage. They should have the ability to properly vaccinate the children, and communicate with the people. In order to carry this out proper training is required. The health workers and volunteers should also be dressed accordingly with official identification cards.

(3) Informing and educating the public: Approximately 46 percent of the population in Pakistan is illiterate. They are not aware of the importance of vaccinations and their schedules. Apart from their own ignorance they are heavily influenced by religious clerics who have spread the notion that the polio vaccine is actually an American plan to sterilize the Muslim population. They need to be informed about the importance of the vaccination and how it becomes a cure for a disease rather then a sterilization plan from another country. Apart from this they also need to be informed about the importance of routines and vaccination schedules. If the people of our country take a stand themselves to eradicate polio, only then will it be possible.

It is time for the Pakistani community to step up to their duty as parents, as adults and as responsible citizens, joining in the fight against polio and help the government in its effort to eradicate polio and other debilitating diseases from Pakistan.

After a fifteen-year effort that has galvanized more than 200 countries, 20 million volunteers, and an international investment of US$3 billion, the success or failure of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the world’s largest public health campaign, is now within reach. Never before has the world been so close to success, with only six countries remaining polio-endemic.