–PM’s adviser says polio campaign was ‘only a five-day affair’
ISLAMABAD: The government has reportedly suspended a nationwide anti-polio campaign after a health worker and two policemen escorting vaccination teams were killed in separate attacks across the country in less than a week, health officials stated, however the government has refuted the claim.
Pakistan is one of three countries in the world where polio is still endemic. The other two are Afghanistan and Nigeria. But militant threats and deep-rooted superstition have spurred many parents to refuse to vaccinate their children.
The National Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for polio, Islamabad, issued a red alert to all the provinces on Friday, directing them to halt the anti-polio drive across the country for the protection of polio field staff from attacks.
The nationwide campaign was launched in all districts of the country on April 22 and Friday was the last catch-up day.
“After the Peshawar incident, the uncertain and threatening situation for the frontline polio workers has emerged and we need to save the programme from a further major damage,” reads the alert issued by the EOC.
Officials say unidentified gunmen targeted polio workers and police assigned to protect them in three separate attacks this past week, in the heavily rural western regions bordering Afghanistan, before fleeing.
However, a senior official associated with the polio eradication efforts has refuted the reports that the immunisation drive was cancelled owing to heightened security threats.
In a tweet, Babar bin Atta, the prime minister’s adviser on polio eradication, said the campaign which commenced on April 22 was a five-day affair which had concluded as per schedule.
” … let me clearly state that National Polio Campaign was a 5 day affair. It started on Monday & Ended Yesterday. The LQAS (survey to check 95% optimum levels) has been stopped as we know the quality is not 95%. Why waste Government/Donor resources?” he wrote on Twitter.
The prime minister’s adviser said that details of the campaign, including the number of children vaccinated and refusal cases, would be released later.
