SHABQADAR/ PESHAWAR:
The influx of Afghan refugees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has hampered the success of anti-polio campaigns.
The virus is being imported into the country through cross-border migration, said speakers at the inauguration of the three-day polio vaccination drive.
Around 5.2 million children below the age of five years will be administrated polio drops across the province during the national immunisation day drive, which kicks off from October 15.
Following the surge in polio cases, the three-day drive will cover all 25 districts, said the deputy director of K-P’s expanded polio immunisation programme, Dr Janbaz Afridi.
Kurram agency reported its first polio case this year. Sadia, an 18-month-old girl and a resident of Tatang village in Marghan tehsil of Kurram, fell victim to the disease because she only received one dose of the polio vaccine. Sadia’s family has been residing in an inaccessible area since 2007. So far, 43 cases have been reported this year.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, he said that 1,584 teams have been constituted under the supervision of more than 2,949 area in-charge to carry out the campaign. “We are still fighting against the crippling disease of polio due to influx of people from restive agencies and migration from neighbouring countries,” he maintained.
Other speakers, including Dr Jamil, Dr Obaidullah, Dr Rohullah and Saiful Islam Saifi, reinforced the importance of polio drops to save future generations from lifelong disability. They urged the media and religious clerics to encourage and inform parents about polio vaccines.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) provincial president, Anwar Saiful, who was also the chief guest, expressed his regret over the fact that Pakistan is more vulnerable to polio than other countries.
He said that eradicating polio was a daunting task for the government of K-P and FATA due to the increasing number of cases being reported in this region. This is because of the influx of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP) from the tribal areas. PPP will also launch a sensitisation campaign in K-P.
The greater responsibility falls on elected representatives of the people to create awareness in their constituencies, Anwar admitted.
“I would extend any possible support from the party platform to eliminate the polio disease from the province,” he said. He formally inaugurated the drive by administering polio drops.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2012.
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