Polio eradication: 132 new cases in Pakistan: UNICEF
This season polio can be controlled easily and we should avail this opportunity,” Rohrmann told BBC.
October 26, 2011
ISLAMABAD:
As many as 132 new cases of polio have been reported from Pakistan recently, said Dan Rohrmann, Pakistan representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), on Tuesday. “A polio vaccination campaign has been kicked off from Tuesday and will target 33 million children across the country. This season polio can be controlled easily and we should avail this opportunity,” Rohrmann told BBC. The World Health Organisation and Unicef are working closely with provincial governments to deploy up to 800 additional staff in 33 high-risk districts. “We must remember that behind every number there is the face of a child and a devastated family,” said Rohrmann. WHO Pakistan Representative Dr Guido Sabatinelli reiterated that eradicating polio from Pakistan depends on delivering oral polio vaccine to each and every child, including the most vulnerable and the hardest-to-reach.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2011.
As a public health professional I suggest, authorities in Pakistan should launch intensive public awareness campaigns in favor of polio eradication. When low income countries in Africa, Pacific and South Asia have been successful in curbing the transmission of wild polio virus what is the problem in Pakistan ?
Pakistan has sufficient resources ... what is important is the communication strategy between the government authorities and the communities refusing polio vaccination.
Dear brothers,this is the best time to eradicate the crippling disease POLIO from south east asia because still we are having not many cases as compared to yester years and this time the prevalance of virus is least that means our enemy is least active and we all should try to kick off this polio virus .so that our future can live a life happily & healthy.so its my request to all islamic scholars of pakistan & india to support the polio compaign so that we can be proud that yes in 2011~2012 we the people of pakistan & india eradicated polio and this is a high time to create history.all the best for the polio supporting hands of india & pakistan .thanks dr nadeem.
the main reason for increase in cases is illiterate people refusing the vaccine; the mullah brigade is out there spreading conspiracy theories about vaccines coming from west;and it is the poor,illiterate people who take their advice and put their children's health in jeopardy;polio wont go away until mullahs go away-or at least their ignorance go away