IT is impossible for anyone to imagine the excruciating ordeal of polio survivors. A study on the traumatic experiences of polio patients during the acute stage of the disease in Finland in the 1950s and 1960s was aptly titled Shattered Childhood. While the rest of the world has conquered the disease through years of strenuous immunisation drives, Pakistan — along with war-torn Afghanistan where the situation is improving now — remains an active breeding ground for the poliovirus. So far this year, 14 confirmed cases — 11 in Balochistan — have been reported besides a large number of positive environmental samples. The reasons are common to both the countries: religious and cultural misconceptions, rampant illiteracy, political unrest, poor law-and-order conditions, and, above all, the government’s failure to establish its writ. The situation is such that many health experts have warned of a major outbreak of polio that will be difficult to control if effective action is not taken soon.

Against this background, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s resolve to enforce the state’s writ and strictly deal with cases of vaccine refusal by parents does not come as a surprise. The ongoing 10-day polio immunisation campaign in Karachi saw 27pc refusals in 40 of the 85 high-risk union councils covered on the first day of the drive — with many parents nervous about the relatively new strategy of administering the vaccine through “needle-free jet injectors”. Sindh has already reported two polio cases this year, one of them from Keamari where more than 70 environmental samples tested positive this year. No doubt, all provincial governments need to take firm action to ensure that the state’s writ prevails and resistance levels drop among parents. However, with the help of community leaders, they also need to take the public on board, explain new inoculation procedures and dispel the narratives and myths propagated by regressive elements to clear the doubts regarding the campaign. We cannot afford to slacken.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024