PHOTO: FILE
Only 0.5% of refusals to vaccinate were based on religious grounds.
These revelations were made by Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar in the Senate on Friday, while a joint adjournment motion related to international travel restrictions on Pakistan by the World Health Organization (WHO) was being discussed.
The motion was moved by Senator Rubina Khalid.
Tarar said that the figures that flowed in from districts to provinces and then to the federal ministry put the success rate of the immunisation campaigns as high as 80 to 90 percent.
“We could not believe our eyes,” she said.
According to the minister, Balochistan remains the least accessible province in terms of immunisation, with just 16% population immunised, followed by Sindh with 29%. Punjab has the highest level of immunisation with 68.5 %, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is at 52.5%.
Karachi, Peshawar and Fata – particularly North Waziristan – are areas where the strain of the poliovirus is dangerous, the minister said while defending measures taken by the Punjab government for internal travel restrictions on people travelling from other provinces.
She also informed the Senate that around 1 million vaccination cards have been printed by the federal government, which will be sent to the provinces. However, local documents which are required by the provincial governments will be valid till June 1, she added.
While the opposition has mostly been at loggerheads with the government in the upper house, the leader of the opposition Senator Aitizaz Ahsan in a rare move assured the government of full support in any steps to ensure the eradication of polio.
COMMENTS (19)
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So how can India and the World be sure that the Certificate of Vaccination issued to Pakistanis now are Genuine and not Fabricated?
Best way is to administer the visa seeking pakistanis polio vaccine at respective embassies and then grant them visa after 6 weeks fees for polio vaccines can be charged along with visa fee.
@Riaz Murtaza: Maybe our countrymen feel they can get away with it on judgement day by flashing some more blue notes.
How did she arrive at the "only 0.5% religious reasons" figure? What reasons do people cite for refusing vaccination? Did they say they wanted to have polio ridden kids because they loved it? In the face of a deadly threat this minister is just fooling around.
Mr Riaz Mustafa: Stop all this remembering Allah to solve all our problems. Dont drag down HIS GRACEFUL AND GRACIOUS NAME and mingle with our bad blood and our dark sins. Allah rightly walked away from us a long time ago. And HE is waiting and watching us. When we decide to straighten out ourselves only then HE will come to our aid.
Should the people on the top at this department not be hanged for ruining so many lives?
By this time we should have realised that almost every institution and person in power is fraud, corrupt, incompetent, least worried about national or social interest. ALL figures are only their to deceive. ALL taxes are only there to loot. We are worse in governance than many underdeveloped African states. Everything is a lie at individual level and at institutional level. I for one do not believe a single figure coming out from wherever.
One shouldn't start believing one's own lies. The 'fake polio campaign' apparently used to identify OBL's location has been touted as a reason for the people not to trust the government. Repeat this a few times and then it starts sounding like the truth. An individual may have been conned into believing that this would make them sterile, but how can this be even related to OBL's capture? Beats me
They should spend even more money on defence. On an sidenote, how are we going to cope when our Hajjis come back from Saudi Arabia and bring MERS with them?
@Riaz Murtaza this is the problem with you muslims , you think you need to perform your duty because you have to answer some imaginary thing. but if you do your duty for the sake of suffering children you will be doing much better. stop this allah bullah . think of people suffering.
Tarar said that the figures that flowed in from districts to provinces and then to the federal ministry put the success rate of the immunisation campaigns as high as 80 to 90 percent.
“We could not believe our eyes,” she said.
Is this woman out of her minds. WHO had been giving this warining to Pakistan for atlast 5 years now. In other words federal and provincial govt are less informed than WHO about their own country.
If this is indeed true, then what difference is left between Pakistan and Somalia. Just a recognition and acceptance of being called a failed state.
@Riaz Murtaza: We can ask Allah to have his mercy and bestow peace on this land and help people of this land to stand on their feet and bring a change to the country in a peaceful way.
This news will be swept under the carpet and 'liberals' will continue to label religion and religious people as obstacles to our goals of attaining 100% immunization from Polio.
May be this statement is the falsification of facts. Way to go PMLN.
Maybe you should follow China's lead .. when a crooked govt official embarrasses them to the World - he gets a quick trial and sentence to death. Might put a dent in some of the blatant corruption/incompetence. The real question is why lie? You weren't under sanctions and charity of USA and others were paying for the immunization.
18th amendment brought up these issues.
What other country doesn't have a robust federal ministry of health? Especially in theses dangerous times when you have corona virus in Saudi, dengue outbreaks , polio, etc.
For Allah's sake Pakistanis ! Stop all kind of corruption. What is going on with you. Each and every person has to perform his duty honestly. We all are accountable in the court of Allah (Swt) at the day of Judgement.
This is no secret that polio vaccine is dumped by health workers,only government does not know it or pretends.not knowing it . Billions of rupees are wasted on this greatly mismanaged health compiegne.
Those officials who fabricated data are traitors.
Is there any un-fabricated un-tempered un-biased NEWS about our beloved country,both at domestic and international level,which we can feel proud of.If yes,pl do share
I would say that every province has failed in the past and some still failing in delivering the immunisation service but what struck was the extremely low percentage reached in Sindh, unlike Balochistan or KPK, where you have serious security issues, the Sindh government managed do to a terrible job nonetheless without having that problem. Shame on PPP.