THIS is with reference to the editorial ‘Polio problem’ (June 27) which stressed that time was of essence in the country’s fight against polio. It was in 2016 that I had written an article for the international Polio Network magazine to highlight that without a broader engagement of Pakistani people, efforts to eradicate polio would struggle to deliver any of the desired results.

India achieved the target of polio eradication through proper mobilisation and involvement of local civil society organisations, opinion-makers as well as community elders. Every year, 27 million children are born in India, but no new case has surfaced since 2017. However, in Pakistan, only officials of the relevant departments have been involved in the process. As a result, we are today one of the world’s last two countries — the other being Afghanistan — that are struggling with polio eradication.

With things being what they are, I have hardly seen any meetings with the larger community regarding the polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan. Our policymakers have never ever studied the failures of Pakistan’s polio eradication programme. In essence, when a polio campaign starts, local health officials, doctors, nurses and other related staff are called by the district administration to discuss and finalise the polio vaccination plan. There is no involvement of the community even though almost all campaigns have a door-to-door approach.

Like most other government initiatives, polio is also facing a crisis of ownership by the community. We are all aware of corruption in health departments at national, provincial and district levels. That being so, it makes sense to involve the community.

Besides, the government should involve community-based organisations at the level of Union Councils (UCs) before the start of each polio campaign. The district administration concerned can make a polio eradication network in each UC that may ensure proper participation of all communities in the polio vaccination campaign.

Polio eradication, without a doubt, is a case of mobilisation, and we need strong community mobilisers to garner large-scale support for the programme. Polio, we must remember, can never be eradicated through government efforts alone. However, a proper monitoring system at the UC level is required. And, as the said editorial stressed, time is of essence.

Aijaz Ali Khuwaja
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024