Informal settlements in a COVID-19 world: moving beyond upgrading and envisioning revitalisation

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a turning point in the way things are done, globally and across sectors. We reflect on approaches to informal settlements and argue for a turn from ‘upgrading’ to ‘revitalisation’. We conceptualise revitalisation as encompassing three core tenets: planetary health, transdisciplinarity, and a people-centred approach. In our vision, revitalisation approaches would take a big-picture view of informal settlements that recognises the inter-connectedness of people and nature within complex urban systems; integrates perspectives from various academic disciplines, non-academic sectors, and communities for knowledge generation; and centres informal settlement residents and communities as experts and partners in urban praxis.

Evaluation of oral poliovirus vaccine delivery during the 1994 national immunization days in Pakistan

Pakistan conducted national immunization days (NIDs) for the first time in 1994. To estimate coverage, to evaluate risk factors for failure to be immunized, and to determine the effectiveness of mass media, parents of 1288 children in 714 households in four districts were surveyed after the first NID round. In each district, a high proportion of children (93%-96%) received oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) during the NID. In three districts, unimmunized or partially immunized children were less likely to receive NID OPV than were fully immunized children (Kohistan, P < .001; Quetta, P < .001; and Sibi, P = .05). Although a high proportion of children in each age cohort received NID OPV, in three districts children 0-11 months of age were less likely to receive NID OPV than were older children. Television and radio reached a high proportion of survey households, but other mass media were less effectively utilized. Risk factor and media effectiveness surveys provide important information that is useful for planning future NIDs.