One measure of success: Swat polio-free for two years and counting

District admin to keep the area protected from the crippling disease with help of 1,209 teams.

SWAT:

A door-to-door polio drive in Swat will utilise 1,209 teams, being led by 227 supervisors. This was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday by Assistant Commissioner (AC)Ashfaq Ahmad, attended by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Department of Health spokesperson Dr Rehmat Ali and officials from the district administration.

Around 120,000 children have been vaccinated in the district, learnt the attendees. AC Ahmad assured them no security threats or hurdles of any sort will be tolerated in any drive; vaccination would continue in a smooth manner.

For the past two years now, Swat Valley has been free from the crippling curse of polio. The district administration has announced its resolve to keep the virus away from their region.

Out of 21 polio cases in Pakistan in 2014, 18 have emerged from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), 17 from North Waziristan alone and one from Khyber Agency. Two cases have been confirmed in Peshawar, and one in Bannu.

Polio drives have been ongoing in the province and Fata since the start of the year, with teams and security officials coming under frequent attacks.

The polio drive has also been boycotted by teachers and lady health workers in different regions; some cite security concerns, while others claim they have not been paid.

In the four phases of Sehat ka Insaf, launched in K-P, the government claims to have inoculated nearly two million children against nine paediatric diseases, including polio.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2014.