Attack on health

The image of a man carrying a blue box had gone viral. The man was trying to reach far-off villagers in high winter, with snow reaching well above his knees. Inside the box were vials of polio drops. Even the Prime Minister took notice. The man, named Irfan Ullah, was invited to see the Prime Minister on January 31^st of this year. With him were other polio workers, representing over 260,000 such brave men and women across the country. Irfan became a symbol of courage and dedication of the workforce in the national campaign to eradicate polio.

While Irfan’s courage and commitment was widely praised, few asked a basic question. Why was Irfan so woefully under-dressed for the extreme weather? Why hadn’t the government provided him with better clothing to protect him? How many like Irfan fall sick because they are exposed to the harsh conditions with little or no protection?

Fast forward three months, and in late April, we are in the midst of one of the worst weeks for our anti-polio drive. Polio units have come under fierce attack in Chaman, Lahore, Bannu and Buner. In some of these incidents brave security personnel who are often outnumbered and outgunned also paid the ultimate price. This came right after the manufactured scare of children being poisoned in Peshawar neighbourhoods.

In the midst of these tragic events, a television talk show expert decided to take on the issue. The expert is a retired bureaucrat and has a regular TV show. Prior to the TV programme, on February 22^nd, 2019, he had written in his Urdu column that vaccines are directly responsible for child mortality and kids who take vaccines develop asthma, auto-immune diseases, cerebral palsy and cancer. Towards the end, he argued that in the history of pharmaceuticals, no drug has been as deadly as vaccines.

Coming back to the issue, he framed his opinion by starting off saying that vaccines are a controversial issue all over the world. He then went on to create plenty of doubt about both the safety and the efficacy. He also raised concerns, rooted in what he considered medical ethics, about the national campaign. While anti-vaccination movements are indeed on the rise globally, and the US is struggling with the surge in parents who are refusing vaccines, I have yet to see someone come on prime time TV anywhere but Pakistan and peddle such vile conspiracy theories. Sadly, he was also among those who were being considered for the post of caretaker chief minister in Punjab before the elections.

The issue of believing wild conspiracy theories is part of our DNA. Years of exposure to curriculum that fails to inculcate reason, rational thought and analysis of scientific evidence makes it easy to believe that vaccines are a global conspiracy of big pharma against young children. Hijacking vaccine drive for a security goal, as was done by the CIA during the Bin Laden incident, has further eroded trust and strengthened the belief that it is all a sham. Unfortunately those who suffer are not just our children, but brave men and women who risk their lives to save others.

The attack on the polio drive is not just about a single disease — it is about ensuring that every child, no matter where she or he lives, is able to survive and be a productive member of society. It is about protecting the custodians and foot soldiers of our public health. The attack on health is an attack on our present and on our future.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2019.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.