It is shameful that polio workers are being denied their role to administer the vaccine to children.
KARACHI: It is saddening to learn that the vaccination campaign for anti-polio in Karachi could not be launched due to lack of security measures for the anti-polio workers. This has become a major concern in Pakistan in the last few years. Many polio workers have been shot dead in different parts of the country, including in Karachi, which has brought a bad name to the country. No sane person in the world should object to the noble task of preventing a debilitating disease through vaccination campaign, so why are members of polio vaccination teams being targeted?
It is shameful that polio workers are being denied their role to administer the vaccine to children because of fear for their lives. It is all the more shameful if we look at the problem in perspective of the travel ban on Pakistanis and the World Health Organisation’s repeated warnings to us.
Despite all this, there is sheer lack of commitment and coordination among the various government departments in combating the menace of polio. Our rulers should come forward and encourage people to take active part in these vaccination campaigns to eradicate this devastating disease from Pakistan.
Professor Dr Muhammed Mubarak
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
