Himalayan Times (1962)

September 30. 1962

Himalayan Times

S s v «

India, and iCasl Pakistan
conetitute by far the most
impartaat focus of small-
pox in the world, and
with Burma, must be
regarded as the moat likely
sources from which small-
pox might be re-imposed
into those countries, which,
by sustained efforts, hire
got rid of it.

The Ministry of Health,
taking Dots of the perio-
dicity with which epide-
mic! of smallpox were
occuring in the country,
appointed an Expert Com-
mittee in the year 1958
to examine the question
of smallpox in all its
aspects and to suggest
the ways and means for
its eradication. The Com-
mittee, in collaboration
with similar Committees
formed in the constituent
States of the country,
examined the problem and
mad* spesific recommen-
dations in 1959 for deal-
ing with the problem. .

The Committee also
recommended the initiation
of pilot projects in one
district of each Mate in
order to work out the
methodology for the era-
dication programme and
to gather first band expe-
rience of the difficulties
that were to be encoao-
tered duriug the courso
of miss vaecinatian drives
and how to overcome th?ra
and to soiled the data
for estimating the require,
menis io personnel and

finances for She country,
wide eradication pro-
gramme.

The Planning Com-
mission h-.'.a sanctiozjsd a
sum of Rs. «P,8 98 lakhs
for the implementation of
the nation-wide program-
me. In this connection,
steps have already been
taken for the setting up
of a Central Organisation
under a Deputy Director
General of Health Services
for necessary oo-ordination
and technical guidance,
etc. and for Betting of
separate Headquarters and
Distriot Organisations in
each State for the execu-
tion of the mass vaccina-
tion campaign, which is
to be completed in two
phases—the first phase to
cover one half of the
distriot/contiguous areas
in each state and the
second phase to cover the
remaining district/aonti-
guous areas by mass vao-
oination oompaigns with
a potent vaceins.

There are two fund-
amental elements of which
the control and eradica-
tion of smallpox are based:

1. Availability o f
potent vaccine (potent at
the moment of its inocu-
lation), and

2. Existence of a pub-
lic health organisation able
to apply this vaocine
where and when ic io
nesescary.

Both the abovt essen-

tial face13 have been faKj
taken cars of. Frees?
dried vaocine received
f-om the Government of
U.S.S R. is being sisbjec.
ted to regular pOvisiisv
testing and it has bews
ensured that it ooafcrais
to the Internationa.1
ards. Similarly, the liquid
lymph vaooine produced
at the 13 Institutes ia
the country io also being
subjected to potency test-
ing at two indepeudsat
Institutes, wbiok do not
manufacture any vaccina
themselves and also arran-
gements are on the way
for eoikteral testing of
vaccine by the Institute
themselves.

The staff of on« unit,
which it expected to eorar
3 million popuifttion irt
two years, consist & tit
one supervising nsedkfti
officer, oho pariUMriies!
assistant 60 raeew«toi«,
12 eanits-y inspeoloye. i*
enumerator? end S b«;i,t>
educators snd etoh wit
is supplied with ,hre*
vehicles one of them '"crug
a van with public idiJrets
equipment.

Utmost enpfescit "
being laid on snpervhiou
ot the vaccination pro-
gramme by inspectors
provided with esc;- ui-i:
and by the u»i* mecicRi
officer, cietnei medict'
officer of health, Aetsetatti-,
Director cf tb« P<.»np«
and bj' tbs A**!«tt«:
( Continc.ea or. y>.^, 5 t