Rising polio

Adding to the humiliation already faced by the country, 10 new cases of polio have been diagnosed in North Waziristan, raising the total number of cases from the tribal agency to 25. The numbers are extremely worrying because according to experts, each child affected puts 200 to 1,000 children at risk and while not all children will become paralysed if they are infected, they can still be carriers and affect the next generation. As these are only the number of reported cases, it is feared that thousands more may arise. Of course, weak immunisation campaigns and the Taliban are primarily to blame for this sorry situation. The Taliban imposed a ban on polio vaccinations while simultaneously spreading rumours that the vaccination causes sterility. The issue of polio, which has been mostly eradicated around the world, continues to linger on in Pakistan. It is of utmost importance that authorities, including security forces and the health department, come together to eliminate this treatable disease.

Most susceptible to this crippling disease are innocent, helpless infants below the age of one as they comprise 82 per cent of cases. The reason polio is most common in this age group is that the ban was put in place just before these children were born. The solution is, of course, to bring the Taliban under control, so that they can no longer impose their own rules and regulations on the people. Until they are controlled, well-meaning and selfless individuals who volunteer to go on polio vaccination drives will continue to be targeted. Too many have already unjustly lost their lives.

Instead of encouraging polio immunisation, the Taliban have done the opposite. Polio teams are increasingly requesting extra security due to fears of being targeted and in some areas, have been permitted to carry weapons for self-defence. Indeed, this is a gloomy state of affairs but until we realise the core facts and openly discuss them, our children, especially in the tribal regions, will continue to become crippled and parents will remain paralysed in fear. Polio must be battled head on and the Taliban must also be dealt with in the same manner.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th,  2013.

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