Crippling the crippler

A few drops of polio vaccine have the power to do two things: first, they can protect a child against polio, which can result in permanent disability or even death and secondly, they can add to the brand equity of an emerging economy, opening doors for donations and investments from international donors and advanced economies. The Global Polio Eradication initiative classifies Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria as polio-endemic countries. For any country to be declared polio-free, no case of the disease should be recorded for at least 3 years. According to the same source, back in 2010, 40 cases of polio were confirmed in India, whereas, during the same year 101 cases of this crippling disease were recorded in Pakistan. India has pressed ahead with endeavours to counter the threat of polio and as a result the first eleven months of 2011 witnessed the confirmation of just one more case of polio in India. Admirably, this case was reported in March of this year, which implies that India has been free from the incidence of any new cases of polio for the past nine months. On the other hand, in Pakistan the disease seems to be looming ever more dangerously as 136 new cases have been confirmed in the Jan-Nov 2011 period. Indias success in its fight against polio is now secret. The country has implemented a coherent national strategy with well-coordinated efforts of multiple government departments, NGOs as well as international donor agencies. On the other hand, Pakistan has continued to struggle in the face of this crippling disease for myriad reasons. The governments initiatives against polio have not been much to write home about; local experts contend that low pay scales of staff responsible for polio vaccine drives encourage mismanagement. "An average of Rs.120 per day is paid to them and what comes with the package is a lot of humiliation, which becomes one of the reasons why these people forge fake entries on their polio drop provision register," asserted a representative of Karachi Cosmopolitan Rotary Club, Taimoor Noorani. But this is only half the tale as the countrys fluid population adds to this debacle. During a recent visit to Australia, PM Gilani had highlighted that the unabated influx of Afghan refugees into the country is compounding Pakistans polio woes. He had urged the international community to help Pakistan plug illegal immigration from its western neighbor to stem the spread of polio in the country. There is growing realisation in the international community that far from being a localised problem, the increase in the incidence of polio cases in Pakistan is a global problem. Japan pledged $2.64 million to UNICEF for the eradication of polio in Pakistan. The government too has announced its intent to step up efforts against the disease. The rise in polio cases should sound alarm bells for the country, given the highly contagious nature of this disease. Cosmetic announcements such as the appointment of Bakhtawar Bhutto as the countrys poster child against polio will not cut it. Urgent and comprehensive measures have to be taken to cripple the crippler, once and for all.