Support for children identified with acute flaccid paralysis under the Global Polio Eradication Programme in Uttar Pradesh, India: a qualitative study

Yotsu, Rie R., Abba, Katharine, Smith, Helen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6252-3793 and Das, Abhijit (2012) 'Support for children identified with acute flaccid paralysis under the Global Polio Eradication Programme in Uttar Pradesh, India: a qualitative study'. BMC Public Health, Vol 12, :229.

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Abstract

Background
Cases of polio in India declined after the implementation of the polio eradication programme especially in these recent years. The programme includes surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) to detect and diagnose cases of polio at early stage. Under this surveillance, over 40,000 cases of AFP are reported annually since 2007 regardless of the number of actual polio cases. Yet, not much is known about these children. We conducted a qualitative research to explore care and support for children with AFP after their diagnosis.

Methods
The research was conducted in a district of western Uttar Pradesh classified as high-risk area for polio. In-depth interviews with parents of children with polio (17), with non-polio AFP (9), healthcare providers (40), and key informants from community including international and government officers, religious leaders, community leaders, journalists, and academics (21) were performed.

Results
Minimal medicine and attention were provided at government hospitals. Therefore, most parents preferred private-practice doctors for their children with AFP. Many were visited at homes to have stool samples collected by authorities. Some were visited repetitively following the sample collection, but had difficulty in understanding the reasons for these visits that pertained no treatment. Financial burden was a common concern among all families. Many parents expressed resentment for their children's disease, notably have been affected despite receiving multiple doses of polio vaccine. Both parents and healthcare providers lacked information and knowledge, furthermore poverty minimised the access to available healthcare services. Medicines, education, and transportation means were identified as foremost needs for children with AFP and residual paralysis.

Conclusions
Despite the high number of children diagnosed with AFP as part of the global polio eradication programme, we found they were not provided with sufficient medical support following their diagnosis. Improvement in the quality and sufficiency of the healthcare system together with integration of AFP surveillance with other services in these underprivileged areas may serve as a key solution.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The electronic version of this article is the original and can be found at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/229/abstract
Uncontrolled Keywords:	acute flaccid paralysis, Global Polio Eradication Programme, India, Qualitative
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. Other Virus Diseases > WC 555 Poliomyelitis WS Pediatrics > Diseases of Children and Adolescents > By System > WS 340 Nervous system
Faculty: Department:	Groups (2002 - 2012) > International Health Group
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-229
Depositing User:	Faye Moody
Date Deposited:	12 Apr 2012 14:07
Last Modified:	17 Aug 2022 08:56
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/2825

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