Pakistan remains one of two countries in this world – aside Afghanistan – where polio remains a key health concern. Despite a decades-long fight against the debilitating disease, challenges remain.
As per recent news stories, there have been deadly attacks on polio workers and a rising number of vaccine refusals all of which “highlight a dual crisis: inadequate security for health workers and deep-rooted mistrust in vaccination.”
It is critical that the state deal with both these issues, provide security to polio teams and tackle polio misinformation.
The former can be done with police training and support. The latter, however, is tougher. As an editorial in Dawn pointed out, “the task at hand is not only logistical but also cultural. Widespread myths linking the polio vaccine to infertility or other adverse effects have stoked fear and resistance.”
As the Dawn editorial cautioned, “What excuse do we have? Our government’s commitment will determine the path we take. Polio eradication is within reach, but only if our response meets the scale of the challenge.”
