Egypt is one of seven countries worldwide that are yet to banish the spectre of polio. But it is determined to do so. Dena Rashed investigates Click to view caption "When I was at school in the sixties, it was normal to have three or four colleagues with polio," said Ibrahim Barakat, chief of the nationwide polio immunisation campaign. "No polio cases have been reported since October 2001. So, we have decided this is the right time to eradicate the disease once and for all," he added. According to the WHO, "the crippling virus has disabled nearly 20 million people living today. But since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in 1988, the annual toll of polio infections worldwide has dropped from 350,000 to under 500 in 2001." As of 1999, the number of children catching the virus diminished considerably. Yet, Egypt remains one of seven countries that have not yet eradicated the disease. Nine polio cases were reported in 1999, four in 2000, and five in 2001. Last month, the Ministry of Health launched a three- months campaign, sponsored by First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, to eradicate polio from Egypt. The campaign involves a three-stage immunisation programme for Egypt's nine million children. "Since the disease only survives in the human body, and with persistent efforts to vaccinate children over these three months, we have a very good chance of eliminating the virus," said Barakat. The campaign targets children aged up to five years, whether vaccinated before or not. Revaccination has no side effects. What makes this campaign different is that it involves private and not just government efforts. "Eradicating polio needs the full support of all political institutions, a strong back-up from the media, and the participation of all Egyptians," said Sahar Hegazi, from the UNICEF. "We hope that in two years we would report Egypt truly free of the disease," she said. But what makes Egypt one of the few countries still hosting the disease? Barakat blames the crowdedness and the high density of population. Polio, he said, is an infectious disease. In a country where population is concentrated on less than five per cent of the entire land, there is a high chance for outbursts. In 1983, the number of cases reported reached 3,000 cases but efforts to eliminate the disease have picked up since then. "This time we have a geographic aim, covering the whole nation simultaneously. We have deployed more than 100,000 people nationwide to make sure than all children are immunised. We aim to bring the vaccination to the door of every family. So if some families fail to show up at the public clinics, the campaign goes to them," Barakat said. Random samples, taken after the first stage of the campaign, which ended on 1 October, to make sure that no child has missed the vaccination, were encouraging. "We expect the campaign to be a resounding success, with all the planning, the mobilisation of the people, and the effort that all sides have done. We are not going to fail this time," Hegazi added. The media is an integral part of the current campaign. "We needed a new angle to transmit the message to all parents from different backgrounds, so we sought the help of one of Egypt's star singers, Mohamed Mounir," said Mohamed Sherdi, director of Editor, the private company managing the campaign's advertising side. "People's attention is needed, and this requires a creative approach. We address human sentiments. We want the public to sense how important it is to have this disease defeated. This is done through a simple story. And this is where Mounir and his song fit in," Sherdi added. Mounir, one of Egypt's most loved crooners, donated a special song for the campaign. The song, written by Kawthar Mustafa and composed by Mohamed Diaa, features children singing along with Mounir about a life of joy and hope. "It is all about the artist's role and dedication to the country ... to health," a press release from Mounir's agents notes. So far, over 99 per cent of the target children have been vaccinated. "We know that we can do it this time. We will eradicate the disease," Barakat said.
