6 new polio cases unravel govt’s hollow claims

Clearly reflecting the ineffective government measures to control polio, six new cases of this fatal disease have been reported across the country during the current week, causing fears and concerns among the parents about the health of their children.
The emergence of six new cases of polio (type-I wild virus) this week has showed that the federal government’s campaign has failed to achieve the desired results despite the fact that 2011 was declared as the polio-eradication year. They year is coming to an end but there is still no end in sight of the crippling disease.
The number of polio cases nationwide became 181 after the 6 new cases. Out of these two cases were reported from Tank and Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and two from Muzaffargarh & Dera Ghazi Khan (Punjab) whereas one case each was reported from Thatta (Sindh) and Khyber Agency (FATA). The emergence of new cases of polio this week has exposed the Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell, as it is being reported that the most of the infected children were vaccinated seven times against the disease during various campaigns.
According to an official letter written by Dr Altaf Bosan, the EPI’s National Programme Manager, available with Pakistan Today, Atiqa Bibi, daughter of Inayat ullah, is a 13-month old female child and she suffered from paralysis on 09 December, 2011.
The child resides in village Thattor, Tehsil Tank and according to her parents; the child had been given at least seven OPV doses including 2 routine OPV doses. The letter says further, “It is important to highlight that this is the second polio case reported from Tank district this year; both from the same union council (the earlier case had onset of paralysis on 17th November 2011).”
It claimed that the said union council borders on the tribal area of FR Tank, with volatile law and order situation there and a total of 10 vaccination campaigns have been conducted in district since January 2011; all using vaccine containing contents against type-1 poliovirus.
Arshad, son of Faiz Muhammad, is a 30-month old male child who had the onset of paralysis on 06th December, 2011; he lives in Village Haji Muhammad Memon, Doomani Union Council and Thatta taluka.
It is important to mention that, as per recall of the parents, the child had received more than 7 doses of OPV all through SIAs. This is the eighth polio case reported from district Thatta this year (3 from taluka Shah Bander, 2 from Thatta and 1 each from Mirpur Sakro, Sujawal and Mirpur Bathro); indicating a significant immunity gap.
A total of 7 vaccination campaigns have been conducted in district Thatta since January 2011; all of which were conducted using the vaccine containing component against type-1 poliovirus
According to the official data 181new cases of polio had been registered in Pakistan this year so far, whereas the number of such cases in previous year was 144.
The report said 69 polio cases were registered in Balochistan, 52 in Federally Administered Areas (FATA), 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 31 in Sindh, 7 in Punjab and one in Gilgit-Baltistan, whereas Islamabad maintained its polio free status.
When contacted Mazhar Nisar, representative of PM’s Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell, told Pakistan Today, “The results in term of decline in polio cases number would be seen in June next year as we have improved the performance of our polio teams and covering the maximum number of children.”
While talking about the reason of increasing number of polio, he said the causes of increasing number of polio cases were different in different areas as in FATA, KPK and Balochistan due to the security concerns the polio vaccine could not reach each and every child. Whereas in Punjab and other areas, he said, they have controlled the virus.
During last 23 years, the World Health Organisation-led Global Polio Eradication Initiative, with billions of dollars and moving 20 million health workers have vaccinated over two billion children in 125 countries around the world.
The campaign has successfully almost wiped out the disease from all countries except four which have been continually harboring the polio disease and Pakistan is the only country where polio cases have been steadily increasing since 2008.