WHO boss to witness antipolio drive

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Health Sujudi will launch the second-phase of this year's immunization program next Tuesday in Denpasar, Bali, to ensure that the targeted 21.8 million children under-five countrywide will be protected from polio.

The ceremony will be witnessed by World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Hiroshi Nakajima and WHO regional director Uton Muchtar Rafei.

The vaccination campaign will also continue at 275,000 immunization posts across the country, which have been established in every neighborhood, in public health centers, hospitals, schools, bus terminals, airports, railway stations and harbors.

After launching the program, Sujudi is scheduled to attend an international meeting on medical services for natural disasters.

"The polio virus is very much present in our neighborhoods and can attack children who do not receive the polio vaccine," Sujudi said on Thursday.

Once children contract the virus, they could be crippled for life or even die, he said.

Health ministry data show the prevalence of polio has dropped dramatically in the last few years. In 1993, the number of reported cases was seven, in 1994 there were ten and in 1995 four.

The ministry has distributed the vaccine to all immunization posts across the country, even those in remote or difficult-to- reach regions, such as the provinces of Maluku, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya.

In a statement, the ministry expressed its gratitude toward traders, who travel from one island to another and help distribute the polio vaccine.

During last year's drive, also in September and October, and the first-phase of this year's program last month, more than 22 million children under the age of five received the vaccine.

The vaccine is produced by the state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Biofarma, in Bandung, West Java.

During the first-round on Sept. 10, most provinces finished the vaccination program within a day rather than the scheduled three days.

The campaign will involve one million people -- recruited mostly from among Family Welfare Movement members, other social organizations, the scouts and teachers -- to administer the 60 million vaccine doses.

This year's antipolio drive is costing Rp 52.5 billion (US$22,3 million), while last year's drive cost Rp 55 billion.

The final campaign will be conducted next year, with the aim of completely eradicating polio in Indonesia by 2000.

The government is determined to ensure that no baby shall be born with polio by the year 2000. (ste)