Eliminating polio

April 4 was the kickoff day of a three-day polio immunisation campaign, as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, in various high-risk districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. The programme, it may be recalled, was launched nation-wide first back in 1994, when the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto gave it a special boost by publicly administering the vaccine to her youngest child, and continuing the practice at high-profile events for other children during annual campaigns.
The annual anti-polio drives have brought about a substantial reduction in the incidence of this crippling children's disease, yet much remains to be done. According to a press report, Pakistan is one of the four countries that are yet to eradicate indigenous transmission of Wild Polio Virus (WPV). The three other countries are Nigeria, Afghanistan and India.
The presence of the first two countries in this group is not so surprising, that of India surely is. However, its position does not look so bad considering that it has a population more than five times the size of Pakistan's. More importantly, as per a Polio Eradication Initiative official in Peshawar, Pakistan reported more case of WPV in 2010-11 than India, Afghanistan and Nigeria put together. Those three nations, in fact, have made significant progress towards eliminating the disease.
It is plain from the preceding details that something is seriously wrong with our anti-polio drives that are carried out each year amid an elaborate display of promotional activity in the four provincial capitals as well as Islamabad. Admittedly, publicity helps create awareness, and hence is an important part of the campaign. It needs to be recognised also that there has been some resistance from some Taliban groups who have been telling people that the polio drops would cause impotency among the younger generations and hence they should refuse to accept them. Then there is also the fact that the unending conflict in and around 'high-risk' districts has rendered large swathes inaccessible to vaccination teams.
These though are not the major reasons why the incidence of the disease remains high in this country. For it continues to afflict children not only in the conflict-affected areas, but also in the peaceful yet remote rural areas in other parts of the country. Those familiar with the situation lay the blame on the health authorities' lax attitude as well as lack of active and sustained support from line departments at the grassroots level. Be that as it may, it is for the provincial health ministries to lead the way. The revelation that Pakistan figures prominently among the countries with least success rates in polio eradication should serve as a wake-up call for them. They must get their respective acts together to address the problem effectively.