Going grass roots: LG representatives to take on battle against virus

Peshawar district nazim says by-laws in place whereby DC will lead fight against polio

PESHAWAR:

Although consistent efforts have been made to curb the spread of polio, the virus continues to flourish in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.

In recent times, experts have voiced concerns over Peshawar battling yet another front – this one against polio. The matter came to fore in October after samples of sewage water collected from Larama tested positive for the virus.

At this critical juncture, local government representatives plan to step in, taking the fight to a more community or grass-roots level.

Peshawar district nazim Muhammad Asim Khan told The Express Tribune health is the local government’s first priority.

“Although we have not received adequate funds so far, we have people at the grass-roots level and are in a better position to counter poliovirus,” he said.

According to the nazim, a series of strategies have been adopted and by-laws put in place by the deputy commissioner will lead the fight against the virus.

“The first thing we need to do is root out misconceptions about oral polio vaccine,” he said.

What went wrong?

The number of polio cases has been on the rise in recent years, reaching 306 in 2014.

The international community began imposing restrictions on passengers travelling from Pakistan and they were expected to carry polio vaccination certificates.

According to an expert, there are fundamental differences between existing polio campaigns and the ones that were conducted before 2010. In the past, it was difficult to send polio teams to inaccessible areas due to deteriorating law and order. A ban had also been imposed on polio drives in North and South Waziristan agencies. He added some cases were also reported from settled parts of K-P but they were limited in number.

“Authorities should focus on the quality rather than the quantity of the campaigns,” he said. “Campaigns are being carried out without intervals. This has created panic among parents who are concerned about why the government is focusing on polio alone.”

Officials who are involved in immunisation drives said people have a rather myopic view of polio campaigns and do not realise the impact they can have.

“While we were holding meetings in November 2012, we were convinced that the virus will be eliminated from the region by March 2013,” one of the officials said. “But things completely changed when polio workers came under attack in December 2012.”

He added polio campaigns lost their direction during the transition period prior to the 2013 general elections. “The interim government was involved in handling state affairs and could not focus on eradicating the virus,” he said.

Shifting gears

When contacted, Akbar Khan, focal person for polio campaign in K-P, said the strategy to eliminate the virus has been completely altered. He added a monitoring system has been put in place to assess the quality of campaigns.

“Both quality and quantity are required since we don’t want to miss even a single child,” he said. According to Akbar, high-risk areas have been identified and are being targeted on a monthly basis. Continuous community protected vaccines have been administered and door-to-door campaigns are being conducted.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2015.