Shangla, Buner, Bajaur Agency to miss post-quake drive

Clerics gather in provincial capital to disperse misconceptions regarding OPV

PESHAWAR:

Two districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Bajaur Agency in Fata are likely to miss the upcoming three-day polio campaign.

“The district administrations of Buner and Shangla are not prepared for the campaign since the earthquake has caused immense destruction and the administrations in both the districts are busy in rehabilitation activities,” a senior official in the health department told The Express Tribune. “This is the reason why both districts will miss the polio drive.”





The official added, polio vaccine coverage in the two districts is otherwise not a problem. However, he clarified, just because they do not face any problem inoculating children there, it does not mean the districts are taken lightly. “The campaign in the missing areas will be held mid November for three consecutive days; a catch-up day will be part of the schedule.”

About the other 23 districts, an official dealing with the polio eradication campaign said 5.4 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated. “Over 16,000 teams, including 14,000 mobile, 1,600 fixed, over 100 roaming and 774 transit teams have been tasked to inoculate children against the crippling virus.”

Preparations

According to a statement issued by the provincial health department on Monday, Minister for Health Shahram Tarakai has directed authorities to utilise all available resources to ensure 100% results in drives. He was saying this at a meeting with officials of relevant departments.



Between a rock and a hard place

In the tribal areas, Bajaur Agency will not be covered during the campaign as the agency is still reeling from the effects of the devastating October 26 earthquake.

Officials at the FATA Secretariat said with assistance from UNICEF, WHO and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the secretariat has prepared 3,168 teams to administer polio drops to 951,308 children. They added political agents, commissioners, and paramilitary and military forces will provide security to polio workers.



A statement issued from the secretariat said that for some areas, particularly Bara tehsil and Jamrud in Khyber Agency, North Waziristan Agency and FR Bannu, the Continuous Community Protected Vaccination approach will be adopted. Teams will vaccinate children for five days and a catch-up drive will be carried out for another two days to inoculate those missed in the campaign.

Removing misconceptions

A press conference of ulemas was arranged on Monday in which clerics from the region cleared misconceptions surrounding the polio vaccine.



“Research conducted around the world has proven there is nothing wrong with polio vaccines,” said Maulana Hussain Ahmad, a cleric in the city, at a seminar at Peshawar Press Club. “All ulemas have agreed that polio vaccines have never been harmful for children’s health; in fact the vaccine is the only solution to the crippling virus.”

He added leading ulemas of the world have issued an order or fatwa that parents should not hesitate to get the vaccine administered to their children. “If parents fail to understand the situation, polio would continue to take the shape of an epidemic.”  Ahmad added refusal cases have reduced after the fatwa.



“Propaganda was unleashed by some negative elements against polio vaccinations but committees of ulemas have been formed at local levels so they can play their role in eradicating the disease.” The seminar was organised by International Research Council for Religious Affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.