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PHOTO: FILE
Contrary to what we believe in Pakistan, we are told that the global campaign against polio in recent decades has been a great success, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting only 33 polio cases in the world. the world in 2018.
Unfortunately, most of the reported cases were in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the danger is that as long as a child remains infected, the virus can spread quickly to polio-free countries and non-immune populations. While Pakistan has made enormous progress in the fight against polio, officials said the latest vaccination campaign had helped vaccinate 37.6 million children. 1.4 million were left without protection.
The government has demonstrated the political will to fight this threat, it is the ignorance of the people and the games that some players play that are responsible for the shame that Pakistan is victim of its record in polio.
There are many myths badociated with polio that many interested parties tend to exaggerate more for political reasons and less for any other reason.
For starters, people should know that there is no cure for polio, but it is possible to prevent the disease if children receive multiple treatments with the vaccine. That's the problem. Pakistan and Afghanistan are two of the three countries in the world – Nigeria is the third – where polio remains endemic.
Some clerics have peddled stories that vaccines were part of a Western plot to make Muslims infertile, while militant groups have killed nearly 100 health workers and their caretakers since 2012 on the pretext that they are not safe. they could be Western spies. We are told in this that the militant groups regain their anger at the tactics used by the Americans to find Osama bin Laden.
That said, it is in Pakistan's interest to eliminate polio. There is no political involvement or conspiracy involved in this. Of the 1.4 million left unprotected, we have a great responsibility.
At this point, our fight is against ignorance. A few weeks ago, militants shot dead a medical staff member and two policemen overseeing other vaccination teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.
Every year, the Pakistani government organizes public education campaigns and recruits Muslim religious leaders to rebadure the population, but their suspicions persist. Where are we going wrong and who is responsible for this misinformation? More importantly, what are we doing to combat this ignorance?
As a result of false rumors, a few weeks ago in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere, families of hundreds of thousands of children refused to participate in the latest campaign to eradicate a virus that could provoke paralysis or death.
An investigation revealed that false stories came from two schools on the outskirts of Peshawar. Provincial officials have asked health workers to vaccinate students from Dar ul Qalam and Roza tul Atfaal schools. No action has been taken against schools. They continue to vomit their venom.
The investigators also identified and arrested a man seen in a video telling dozens of children to pose as if the vaccine had made them unconscious. This has been widely shared on social media. But apart from a slight reprimand, the man was released without any legal action.
The police also arrested 16 other men, some of whom had threatened vaccination teams in the streets. But again, little has been done to punish them for their crime.
One can only wonder how long the government will adopt this unkind attitude towards polio. Relying on fears of attacks on health staff, the authorities continue to cancel vaccination campaigns.
One of the most difficult jobs in Pakistan is probably polio. This person works day and night at the risk of losing his life trying to rid our country of a disease that has been eliminated in all parts of the world. Poorly paid, largely unknown and unappreciated, one can only wonder why they continue to fight.
We must act with resolve. It's not just the 1.4 million that have been left behind. We have become the laughingstock of the world in health – polio is an example. When we talk about national pride and patriotism, let's take a moment to reflect on our poor polio record. It's time for us to do something.
Posted in The Express Tribune, June 17th, 2019.
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