Pakistan is now one of three countries in the world where polio is endemic.
KARACHI: I am shocked to hear that the government doesn’t have the necessary cold storage equipment needed for the safe transport of polio vaccines to the far-flung areas of the country. This, in turn, is risking the health of around 34 million children under the age of five who need to be immunised against the disease.
This is something to worry about considering Pakistan is now one of three countries in the world where polio is endemic. Of course, the issue is exacerbated by the recent ban on the polio vaccination in parts of Fata but the issue of the cold chain not being maintained is something that could possibly be affecting the vaccination programme in any part of the country.
The government should follow the successful models of other countries regarding power management, which seems to be one of the main factors in this regard. For instance, in Bangladesh, solar energy is being used as a source of power in rural areas. We also need to emulate such options so that our future generations can live a healthy life.
Abu Bakar
Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2012.
