Another setback: 2,500 children deprived of polio vaccines in Shabqadar

SHABQADAR:

Three disputed villages between Shabqadar and Mohmand Agency have refused to vaccinate their children during the three-day anti-polio campaign.

Villagers demanded that the government should first introduce developmental schemes in their areas and stop prolonged power outages by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company before polio teams are allowed to operate.

Officials fear that the life of around 2,500 children is at stake in the villages.

Charsadda DCO Ajmal Khan told The Express Tribune that he along with Health EDO Dr Fazl Akbar held a jirga with the president of Tanzeem Naujawanan Dalazak village, Shabqadar Mumtaz Ali. Ali had earlier refused to allow polio teams to inoculate children.

The disgruntled people were led by a local Awami National Party leader, Nisar Mohmand. “We held discussions and assured them of ending the unscheduled power cuts,” Khan said.

He said that a large number of children will miss the vaccination in Saro Kallay, Hafiz Korona and Konra Colony.

The DCO said that he had talked to the XEN Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) to end the constant load-shedding. “We cannot compromise on the life of children and will go to any length against Tesco if law and order problems are created,” Khan added.

Nisar said that NGOs and the government were carrying out uplift work in other parts of Mohmand Agency, while their village was being deprived of basic facilities. “We have made repeated demands to the Mohmand Agency political and Charsadda district administrations for carrying out development projects in our areas but our demands were not fulfilled,” he added.

The government started the anti-polio campaign in those areas of the province where prevalence of polio is high. Last month, a case was registered in Charsadda where a minor girl was affected.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2012.