Pakistan: Jalozai IDPs decline to vaccinate children

Internally displaced persons at Jalozai camp on Monday declined vaccination of their children against polio until acceptance of their demands, including restoration of electric supply and provision of food. A three-day polio campaign targeting 40,000 children at the camp was slated to get underway in the day. However, elders of IDPs didn’t allow 32 polio teams accompanied by security personnel to administer oral polio vaccine to the children, according to the officials. An elder said the government had suspended electric supply to the camp, where IDPs of Khyber Agency, had long been living in tents, while quantity of complementary food given to them was gradually reducing. He said the government should ensure restoration of electricity and provision of proper food to IDPs otherwise polio vaccination of children won’t be allowed. It is learnt that around Rs17.5 million electricity bill is outstanding against the Jalozai camp that forced Pesco into suspension of electric supply.

POLIO CAMPAIGN DELAYED:

The administration of Nowshera on Monday failed to launch the three-day polio campaign in the district due to boycott of Lady Health Workers over the government’s failure to regularise their services. An official said the administration had decided to put off the polio campaign until Nov 25. He said Unicef was a government partner in the campaign. Leader of local LHWs Zakia Khan said the provincial government had failed to declare lady health workers its permanent employees despite clear instructions by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhry.

LHWS BOYCOTT POLIO DRIVE:

Lady health workers on Monday boycotted polio campaign in Mardan district. The boycott comes in line with a decision of LHWs made during a meeting at the District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan. Leaders of LHWs, including Shahrukh Begum, Ara Begum, Hashmat Begum and Saira Begum, said they had not been paid salary for three months and therefore, their families were in distress. They also said most LHWs had yet to be paid for the May 11 election duty. The leaders of LHWs said the boycott of polio campaign would continue until their dues were paid and their services were regularised.