Pakistan - Another polio case

Balochistan’s first and Pakistan’s third polio case in the year 2016 was reported on Monday, as a 30 month-old boy, from the outskirts of Quetta, was confirmed positive for the virus. Previously this month, two cases of polio have also been confirmed in Karachi and Nowshera. Dr Syed Saifur Rehman, chief of the polio emergency cell in Balochistan, stated that every month vaccination campaigns were being carried out, especially in sensitive areas. The hindrance in proper eradication is due to the unfortunate fact that there is an absence of vaccination centres. In addition, a critical concern is parental refusal in allowing vaccination due to fallacious rumours claiming that the drive is a front to sterilise Muslims or is a western conspiracy. This belief and the militants’ vendetta against anti-polio healthcare workers has also resulted in the deaths of more than 60 members of polio teams and police officers guarding them while more than 45 have been injured in the past couple of years alone. While there has been a 90 percent decline in refusals in Balochistan, still 2,821 refusals were made during the drive last month. The National Emergency Operation Centre also emphasised that low immunity levels, specifically in areas with poor hygiene and sanitary conditions, have made children more susceptible to the virus. After Nigeria declared itself polio-free last year, only Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to struggle for the eradication of this crippling disease that can result in lifelong paralysis.

While the government has made heightened claims of success, it is yet to fully commit to the cause of polio eradication. These cases are a reflection of this neglect. Efforts are ongoing throughout the country, including several critical regions, with vaccination teams struggling through arduous journeys and, more crucially, threats to their lives. However, the government has yet to demonstrate equal determination. There need to be more vigorous awareness campaigns to deal with refusals by parents who leave their children to the mercy of this life-long disease. While there have been many cases of refusals, there have been thousands more cases where willing parents were unable to gain access to routine immunisation, exposing the clear gaps in the health infrastructure and the government’s inability to develop it even after the people have been suffering its consequences for years. In this day and age, if a virus exists in one region, the rest of the world remains endangered for any sudden exposure to it. Considering this, already the World Health Organisation (WHO) has placed regulations on Pakistan, and the government continues with its complacent ignorance. It risks making Pakistan a pariah state, causing more problems for its inhabitants then they are already suffering.