Pakistan’s health authorities seem unable to control the increasing threat of poliovirus in the country as the country has reported the 11th case so far this year.
According to a statement from the Federal Health Ministry, the latest case was detected in a toddler in North Waziristan.
Stool samples taken from an eight-month-old toddler in Union Council-7 of Mir Ali in North Waziristan tested positive for the wild poliovirus (WPV) during tests conducted at laboratories of the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Another alarming situation for Pakistan is that poliovirus was detected in London’s sewage samples as British health authorities have said the virus may have been ‘imported’. Pakistan may be one of the sources of the virus found in the UK, though it should be added that vaccine-derived polio is found in 22 countries, and the results of genome sequencing will better explain the origins of the virus. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the ‘final frontiers’ where this crippling ailment has not been eliminated.
The results of Pakistan’s anti-polio efforts over the past few years have been mixed, with the country coming close to eradication, only to find an explosion of cases soon after.
Sources have claimed that as many as 433,173 children were deprived of anti-polio drops during a week-long drive against the crippling disease in the country.
A week-long anti-polio drive was held between 23 to 29 March in which 433,173 children have not inhaled drops for various reasons. Sources said 377,166 children were not available during the drive, while parents of 56,007 children denied inhaling anti-polio drops to their children across the country.
For example, 10 cases have been reported in the country so far this year, while the tally in 2020 crossed 200. This pattern tends to repeat itself; for example, in 2017. Most of the cases reported this year are limited to the North Waziristan tribal district. Therefore, along with continuing nationwide anti-polio drives, special attention must be given to the KP district in order to eliminate polio.
The services of ulema and tribal elders need to be utilised to bring down cases of refusal and encourage people to get their children vaccinated, while there can be no room for fake finger markings. Eliminating polio from Pakistan is possible, if the state decides to pursue this worthy goal with determination and focus.
