It is very unfortunate that polio cases are rising once again across the country. In fact, efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan seem to be faltering with each passing day as polio virus has been confirmed in 14 environmental samples collected from different districts of Pakistan, three from Peshawar, two from Hyderabad and Karachi East.

Polio virus has been found in two samples, while virus was also found in one sample each from Karachi Central, Kemari and West.

On the other hand, the seven-day anti-polio campaign will start from today across Balochistan, during which more than 25 lakh children will be administered polio drops and vaccinated.

It is a very sad fact that polio, a deadly disease that cripples a person for life, has been eradicated worldwide, but Pakistan is among the three countries in the world where the virus of this disease is still present.

According to experts, people Due to lack of awareness and inattention of the government, 30 percent of children do not receive full immunization. Finding polio virus samples from almost every district of Karachi is a matter of great concern.

It is necessary to provide complete awareness and awareness about vaccination to the people for complete elimination of polio virus.  To get rid of the polio virus, the problem of polluted and dirty water must also be solved, which is actually the main cause. Polio is an infectious disease that usually affects children up to five years of age.

After its virus enters the body through contaminated water or food, it begins to thrive in the human intestines, from where it attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis.

The only way to prevent it is to use the polio vaccine i.e. polio drops and good hygiene. It is important that the government conducts an awareness campaign in this regard and ensures vaccination of every child up to five years of age.

One is really saddened by this disappointing development as our country was very close to totally eradicate this disease as last year, only one case was reported and we were about to achieve the status of a polio-free country, but that could not happen due to the irresponsible behavior of the parents who refused to vaccinate their children against this deadly virus.

We were proceeding well with our anti-polio drives and there was steady decline in the number of polio patients in recent years which can be gauged from the fact that only on case eighty was reported in the country last year as compared to 147 cases in 2019 and eighty-four in 2020.

On the other hand, the polio workers have always been in line of fire in the KP province and Balochistan provinces, where the polio cases have staged resurgence with as many as 14 cases in recent months.  Obviously the purpose of the attacks is to deter the polio teams from working in the tribal areas. But the good thing is that despite this fearful situation, the vaccinators have pledged to  go ahead with their mission and go door to door to reach out to maximum number of children.

Meanwhile, health experts say that finding polio virus samples from almost every district of Karachi is a matter of great concern. And the most painful thing is that it is being transmitted to this mega city by people from other part of the country, mostly Afghan refugees, majority of whom are against the polio vaccines and are carrier of this virus. Due to the presence of polio virus in the Central, South, Eastern and Kemari districts of Karachi, the relevant authorities of Sindh province are paying special attention to the high-risk districts and the areas with large population.

And a fresh report says that after the discovery of the presence of genetic polio virus in the sewage water samples in the said districts, all aspects are being taken into consideration to overcome the situation and redress the same,

Polio, a deadly disease that cripples a person for life, has been eradicated worldwide, but it is very sad that Pakistan is among the three countries in the world where this dangerous disease still exists. The remaining two countries are Afghanistan and Nigeria.  It is news that the number of children affected by polio virus in Pakistan this year has increased to four.

According to the experts, unfortunately, due to the lack of awareness among the people and the inattention of the government, 30 percent of the children do not receive complete immunization.

In order to eliminate polio virus completely, it is necessary to provide complete awareness and awareness about vaccination to the people. To get rid of the polio virus, the problem of polluted and dirty water must also be solved, which is actually the main cause. It is important that the government conducts an awareness campaign in this regard and ensures vaccination of every child up to five years of age.

 One would advise the masses to not pay heed to negative propaganda and misinformation spread by religious extremists about vaccines in our country. More significantly, the government must also ensure steps to monitor cross-border movement in the wake of volatile situation in Afghanistan, where polio is still existing.

Recently, the Caretaker Prime Minister clarified that all scholars, including Imam Kaaba, have declared polio vaccination drops as very necessary for a safe and disability-free future. Anwar Kakar expressed concern over the presence of polio virus in three districts and directed that no child should be deprived of polio vaccine drops as this process is a part of future battle for survival and we must win this war at all costs.

The Prime Minister rightly pointed out in his tweet that the said campaign is a symbol of our determination for a healthy and safe future of children.

It is not that Govt do not pay attention to polio drives. In fact, we see a countrywide vaccination drive every few months but the irony is that some parents deny vaccine to their children. The Militants call the polio campaign a Western conspiracy and often attack polio workers, mostly in tribal districts.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 09 2024

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