3 BARMM areas overshoot anti-polio drive targets

REACHING OUT--- Health workers in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao board a watercraft or walk for hours (inset) to reach more children during the implementation of Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio 2020 in Maguindanao. The region’s health ministry recorded a 97.5 percent accomplishment on its anti-polio drive from July 25 to August 9, 2020. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOH-BARMM, MINDANAO EXPOSE') 

COTABATO CITY --- Two provinces and a city in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have overshot their targeted number of children in the implementation of “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (SPKP)” campaign, the region’s health ministry reported Tuesday, August 11.

The two-week 2020 SPKP ended on Sunday (Aug. 9), with the BARMM registering an overall 95.7 percent accomplishment.

Marawi City had the highest number of vaccinated children at 24,683, or 104.5 percent of its 23,702 target.

Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao have registered 103.5 percent and 101.4 percent, respectively. Maguindanao provincial health chief Dr. Elizabeth Samama said her teams of vaccinators are not stopping.

“Even if the SPKP is over, our ‘bakunadors’ (vaccinators) will continue conducting vaccination to far-flung communities to reach unvaccinated children,” Samama said.

Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan, BARMM health minister, said the region has an eligible target of 839,676 children. However, the Ministry of Health-BARMM only managed to serve a total of 803,516 children after two weeks of massive vaccination.

Dipatuan said there are about 44,639 children aged 59 months and below who were not vaccinated due to difficulty in reaching them, refusal of some parents to have their children vaccinated, and for other reasons.

In Maguindanao, some parents refused to have their children given anti-polio vaccines out of fear of possible contamination or infection. 

“After we have carefully and convincingly explained to them that the anti-polio vaccines have no side effects and have the blessings of Muslim religious leaders, they eventually agreed,” Samama said in the vernacular.

Of the 44,639 unvaccinated children, 26,112 are in Basilan, 17,645 in Sulu and 882 in Tawi-Tawi.

 Basilan served 87,536 (77 percent) children out of 113,648 eligible targets while Sulu has reached 243,021 (93.2 percent) children out of 260,666 target children. Tawi-Tawi had 111,221 targets but only served 110,339 children (99.2 percent). 

In areas where the target was surpassed, Marawi City served 24,684 (104.1 percent) out of 23,702 target children; Lanao del Sur, 140,162 (103.5 percent); and Maguindanao, 197,774 (101.4 percent) of 195,068 target number of children. 

The MOH-BARMM also cited the support extended by the United Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that helped the regional and national government procure supplies such as vaccines, freezers, ice packs and vaccine carriers. (Edwin Fernandez, PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE')