Polio eradication campaign begins yesterday in which 16.5 million children will be vaccinated all over the country. it is a fact that Pakistan has been fighting against polio form 50 years but it has not been successful for which it would not be wrong to blame the nation as a whole. Conversely new treatments for various diseases are being discovered in the world, while we are stuck in the cycle that “to give or not to give” the polio vaccine to our children.
Last year, the World Polio Day was celebrated across the country regarding the eradication of polio. Although only Pakistan and Afghanistan are left in the world those suffering from polio.
These two nations should feel the shame deeply otherwise this disease will never eradicate. Regarding eradicating the polio, Prime Minister Shehbaz shareef says that anti-polio drive is a national goal for which we are all united. We have to reach every child to get polio vaccine. In Pakistan effective measures are being taken for anti-polio and maternal and child treatment in collaboration with development partners.
Although during the anti-polio campaigns many polio workers and security personnel have sacrificed their lives in the line duty. The services of Bill Gates foundation in eradicating polio cannot be forgotten. The prime minster exchange those word with the head of bill gates foundation. He said obstacles in the way of anti-polio will not be allowed.
Remember, that the anti-polio campaign started in Pakistan in 1988, at that time the polio virus was present in 125 countries of the world and more than three and a half million children had been disabled by polio today polio has been eradicated from 99% of the world but we are still facing problems to eradicate polio.
In Pakistan effective measures are being taken for polio prevention but it has been a story of one step forward and two steps back since the commencement of the program. In recent years, Pakistan has been conducting regular vaccination campaigns that are making significant progress in reducing the incidence of this debilitating and preventable disease.
But eradicating the virus remains a persistent challenge due to a number of factors, including a general mistrust of vaccines, which often lead to severe resistance. Violent extremists have shot dead a number of health workers and their security guards.
Yet thanks to brave activists, mass media awareness campaigns as well as routine immunization campaigns continue unabated. In which local scholars and other religious leaders also need to be included so that people’s trust and confidence in vaccination increases.
Considering the cross-border transmission of the WPVI variant of the virus, the government should discuss with the Kabul government. During a recent visit to discuss polio eradication strategies with our government, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative also suggested reaching out to migrant populations in affected and high-risk districts, an approach that is said to have had positive results in India. Where vaccination efforts have focused on creating a complete map of the migrant population.
What needs to be done to end this scourge that has given this country the distinction of being one of the two countries in the world where polio is endemic? Covering the latter stages requires a sustained and committed effort by the government and the National Polio Program in collaboration with its global partners.
Therefore it is necessary that on one hand the government officials perform their duties in a better and on the other hand citizens should fully cooperate with these officials.
In fact the biggest obstacle that has come up in the country against polio so far is the people who refuse to give polio vaccine to their children for which formal legislation has also been made but despite this these refusing parents are hindering the campaign which will now have to be dealt strictly.
According to the Prime Minister in order to eliminate the negative thinking found against the polio vaccine in the society. It is necessary that academics and religious scholars come forward and explain its usefulness.
In the same way there are many opinions in media houses which need to be worked on. For example a workshop was organized by UNICEF in Nathia Gali. In which around 55 journalists were informed about the seriousness of polio eradication and the role of the media. In a session UNICEF program manager Dr. Wisam Hazem said that journalists can play a key role in establishing public opinion. He said that through smoothing public opinion in favor of vaccination against polio we will be able to eradicate this disease. Thus it’s also a fact, until awareness about the polio vaccine is not raised in the society we will not be able to cope with that crippling disease.
