Polio: Health workers unsure about meeting vaccination target

Govt says samples indicating presence of virus are worrisome.

LAHORE: The three-day anti-polio campaign has been unable to meet its target to immunise 18.7 million children.

As a result, the threat of polio still looms large across Punjab, The Express Tribune has learnt on Wednesday.

In 2017, Pakistan reported two cases, including one in Punjab. The nation is only one of three that is affected by the disease. The other countries are Afghanistan and Nigeria.

As many as 7,000 health workers braved the scorching heat to conduct a door-to-door polio campaign, but most of them remain unsure over achieving the target.

“The reality is that most of could not continue their duties due to the weather, while the government failed to announced any perks for the workers,” commented a health worker.

Requesting anonymity, he said, “It is most difficult to roam on the burning streets with a heavy ice box [which contains the vaccine] and we have nothing to stay hydrated ourselves.”

Talking about other difficulties, he said people in impoverished areas still do not cooperate. “They believe polio drops are some kind of conspiracy against their children.”

Replying to a question, he agreed that it was a failure of the health department which has failed remove Pakistan from the undistinguished list of remaining polio affected countries.

Brewing crises

The National Immunisation programme intended to target 18.7 million children the age of five in Punjab. Unfortunately, it was not able to meet its target and the continued presence of poliovirus in different parts of Punjab is a reflection of the government’s failure, experts say.

A health department tells The Express Tribune that authorities are unable to follow the cold chain process due to continued load shedding and the unhygienic condition of health workers.

“Until the government announces special perks and privileges for health workers and maintains the cold chain process, Pakistan will remain a polio-affected country,” he says.

Government response

Punjab’s Emergency Operations Coordinator Dr Munir Ahmed strongly refutes all claims that the health department is unable to maintain the cold chain process as the department already has 10 such facilities in Lahore.

He says Lahore district has 12,000 ice live refrigerators and 7,000 workers actively participating in the National Immunisation programme.

“Not a single complain of dead vaccines has been received and work is continuing smoothly,” he asserts.

Replying to a question, he agrees recent environmental samples have been a cause for concern and indicate the presence the virus. “I assure you the health department is doing its best and people must cooperate for the sake of future generations.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2017.