Amid protests: Anti-polio drive in Khyber Agency halted

Illness leads to five child deaths; inquiry clears polio workers of any wrongdoing

PESHAWAR: The anti-polio campaign in Khyber Agency has come to a grinding halt after illness struck down 11 children and killed five of them, causing fear and outrage among local tribesmen.

The tribesmen claimed the illness was stoked by the administration of expired vaccines. But an initial inquiry report absolved the staff connected with the immunisation campaign of any wrongdoing. Officials later confirmed that the four children had not died because they had been given expired vaccines. Their deaths were linked to their inability to resume the anti-polio campaign.

Officials also accused the tribesmen of attempting to blackmail the government and seeking payment of compensation for the child deaths.

The children were first rushed to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar but one of them died on way to the hospital while others were later discharged. However, four other children died.

The tribesmen then announced that the anti-polio drive would not be allowed until the affected families were paid compensation.

“We were facing immense resistance (from tribesmen) despite the fact that the polio vaccine had nothing to do with the deaths and the campaign had to be stopped,” a senior health official at the Fata Secretariat told The Express Tribune.

“We never risk the lives of our staff (involved in the vaccination) and this is why we abandoned the campaign … We plan to launch a fresh campaign from January 16 after sorting out various issues,” the official informed.

An official at the Emergency Operation Centre stated: “We were reluctant to restart it immediately since it would have adversely affected the anti-polio drive.”

“We wanted the (inquiry) report to clarify certain things for the general public … We want them to know the reasons for the (children’s) deaths,” he said.

He also confirmed that a fresh campaign would be carried out in mid-January.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2017.