Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

       The report on conducting workshop on implementation of Polio Environmental Surveillance in Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Report from: Communicable Diseases Control Center (CDC), Iran Ministry of Health

                    Vice Chancellery for Health of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

Published on: 31 December 2018

Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Zabol University of Science (zbmu) with an area of 15197 square kilometers is located in the southeastern part of Iran and in the north of Sistan and Baluchestan province, with 5 cities (Zabol, Zahak, Hirmand, Hamoon, Nimroz) with a population of 418148 people (Iranian and Afghan).

Considering its common border with polio endemic countries of Afghanistan, polio is a potential threat to the people of the province and there is the risk of the re-introduction of the polio in Sistan and Baluchestan and other parts of the country. Overall, 72 percent of the population under the coverage of the zbmu reside in the rural areas and the common border with Afghanistan and illegal border crossings intensifies the challenge.

The map of towns and cities under the coverage of Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Table1- the districts and the population covered by Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Table2- Performance of polio surveillance program in Zabol University of Medical Sciences

The three doses polio vaccination coverage in three years of 2016, 2017, 2018 is higher than 95 percent and all the children under 5 years of age get the oral polio vaccine (OPV) during 2 rounds of polio campaigns each year.

Polio Environmental Surveillance workshop

A team comprising of 7experts from the Vice Chancellery for Heath from Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and the Ministry of Health was dispatched to train operational personnel Zabol 19. 12. 2018 to 20. 12. 2018. On the first day a meeting was held with the Technical Deputy of Zabol University of Medical Sciences and experts of the program and necessary instructions were given and sampling method was taught in theory in a training session. On the second day, zabol sites were visited in the morning site were visited. Holding a meeting with the staff from Water and Wastewater Departments of Zabol, an implementation plan was devised and was directed for implementation. The workshop aimed at: Firstly, to select high risk areas of Zabol, which were recommended by WHO experts in their previous visits to the area, due to their proximity with polio endemic countries of Afghanistan, particularly Afghanistan. Secondly, to teach and prepare the trainees for sample collection, storage, and transportation.

The report on the first day: 19.12.2018

Holding a joint meeting on how to implement the program, the meeting was attended by the colleagues from Communicable Diseases Management Center and Diseases and Environmental Health Unit of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences with their counterparts from Zabol University of Science (zbmu).

Conducting workshop for the trainees and colleagues from Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Water and Wastewater Organization and other colleagues involved in implementation of the program in Zabol as well as implementation of the program with colleagues with regard to sample collection, the details of the sampling sites, the responsibility of sample collectors, instructions for sample collection and instruments and tools for sample collection and their maintenance, timetable, and the number of samples in each site were discussed.

The report on the second day: 20. 12. 2018

Holding a meeting with the colleagues from Zabol Health Centers and Water and Wastewater Organization and review of wastewater collection maps.

·         Field and wastewater collection network visit

·         Selected wastewater pumping stations  visit

·         Training and practical work in Zabol districts

·         Practical work training in SOPs and instructing the trainees how to collect sample

·         Practical workshop in wastewater pumping station in Zabol. Health personnel, trainees and Colleagues from Wastewater organization were actively involved in the project.

Practical work ended with briefing the trainees about concepts, knowledge, location criteria and sample collection method, standard practical methods for sampling, labeling, packaging, filling out the forms, and sample transfer to the National Polio Reference Laboratory.

Two samples were collected from one site in Zabol, as a test, and were dispatched to the laboratory.

The health personnel, trainees, and colleagues were provided with training about standard forms during the training session.

Results of pre-test &posts-test

  The members of training team for implementation program of Polio Environmental Surveillance in Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Dr.  Susan Mahmoudi (National Polio Program Focal Point, CDC, MoH)

Dr. Seyed Mehdi Tabatabaei- Vice Chancellor for Health of ZAUMS,

Dr.MajidSartipi- Director of the Prevention and Combating of Diseases Dep., ZAUMS,

Eng. AbdurrazaghPakzad- Director of Environmental Health Dep., ZAUMS,

Eng. Faiz Mohammad Elhami- The expert in Charge of Immunization at ZAUMS

Eng. Hasan Karimian- The expert in charge of Environmental Health at ZAUMS

Eng. Maisam Betaleblouei – The expert in Diseases Control & Prevention in Zahedan Health Center

The particpants in the training workshop in Polio Environmental Surveillance in Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Team 1:  Mr. Hossein- Daneshzai: diseases control officer, HosseinAzarian, environmental health engineer,

Team 2:  Mr. Moussa Damnakesh: diseases control officer, Mr. Hossein Ali SayyadArbabi environmental health engineer,

Team 3:  Mr. SolemanSaravani: Disease control expert, Ms. ZohrehAzMohammadi: environmental health engineer,

 Team 4. Mr. Ali Sanchuli: Disease control expert  Mr. Hamid Reza Shahriari,  environmental health engineer,

Team 5. Ms. NasimehMarghzari: diseases control officer, Mr. AbdolhosseinNajafi: environmental health engineer,

Zabol distric sewage network:

The sewage system is being implemented since 1993 (176 km) and  with the expansion of about 63 km from the year 2009, it is in operation in Zabol including collecting (sub-lines), collectors (main lines and collectors) and sewage pipelines from 150 mm to 1000 mm in diameter., Currently, 80% of Zabol urban population is covered by sewage disposal services.

Pumping stations:

One of the unique features of the Zabol sewage network is the existence of eight pumping stations that are in good condition.

The finally proposed sampling sites for Zabol district

Zabol sewage pumping station

Acknowledgement

We express our sincere thanks and gratitude"s to my colleagues in Communicable Diseases Management Center, my colleagues in Zahedan and Zabol Universities of Medical Sciences and all and everybody who contributed to optimal implementation of the program. Finally, we would like to thank the experts of the World Health Organization, the CDC, MoH, the colleagues and experts of the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and the Zabol University of Medical Sciences, and all the friends who helped in implementing this program.

Zabol workshop & field visit photos