Baghdad, Iraq, May 2014 – Following the April 2014 national polio campaign in Iraq, the WHO Iraq country office and Ministry of Health of Iraq produced a report on polio intra- and post-campaign monitoring during the round of national immunization days in May 2014. 

Fifty-nine districts in 19 provinces were surveyed during intra-campaign monitoring. One hundred and twenty surveyors worked over four days to survey a total of 10 758 children under five and 7289 households. The results of the intra-campaign monitoring found: 

• 406 population areas (one or more households) were missed during the polio campaign.
• 3 districts reported less than 80% polio immunization coverage.
• 56 districts reported greater than 80% polio immunization coverage.
• 44 districts reported greater than 90% polio immunization coverage. 

The Iraqi Red Crescent Society, supported by the WHO Iraq country office, conducted a post-campaign monitoring survey to determine routine and campaign polio immunization coverage. One hundred and twenty surveyors worked over three days to survey a total of 3595 children under five and 2326 households in 19 provinces and 57 districts. 

The results of the survey found:

• Reported immunization coverage in the polio campaign in May was 92.0%.
• Eight districts in four provinces reported less than 80% polio immunization coverage.
• Children were more likely to be vaccinated if their household had prior awareness of the campaign.
• Polio immunization coverage, by recall, was equitable according to household socioeconomic index. 

Recommendations

Recommendations included to:

• review programming in eight districts reported to have less than 80% campaign immunization coverage.
• encourage adoption of finger marking across all governorates as a gold standard of assessing polio campaign coverage.
• continue pre-campaign awareness-raising of polio to increase participation and immunization coverage.
• strengthen routine immunization and ensure equity according to geographic area and household socioeconomic index.
• conduct intra- and post-campaign monitoring in Mada’in district of Baghdad-Resafa sector, where a second case of polio was confirmed in April 2014, if access and the security situation permits. 

However, the two polio intra- and post campaigns were concluded with the following findings: 

• National polio immunization coverage following the May 2014 campaign is high  and equitable across household socioeconomic quintiles.
• Eight districts in four provinces reported less than 80% polio campaign coverage.
• Household awareness of the May 2014 national polio campaign was high with most household information received from the Ministry of Health or television/radio.
• Household awareness of the May 2014 national polio campaign significantly increased campaign participation and child vaccination.
• Nearly half of children missed by the April 2014 national polio campaign were not visited by a vaccination team.
• Routine immunization is low and inequitable (the poorest households have lower rates of routine immunization than the least poor).
• May 2014 documented routine immunization coverage which estimates are lower than those reported in April 2014 because they are calculated against the whole population of under five surveyed children, not just those who have a vaccination card.

Report on polio intra-campaign monitoring

Report on polio post-campaign monitoring

For more information, contact:

Ms Ajyal Sultany, Communication Office (+964)7809-269-506
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