ISLAMABAD: A member of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government threw a different kind of challenge to Imran Khan on Monday – lead the PML-N government’s polio vaccination campaign in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which his PTI party rules, and in Fata.

“Together we can make a big difference,” Minister of National Health Services (NHS) Saira Afzal Tarar told the officials she had called to Islamabad to discuss the difficult polio eradication programme in the two regions.

Militancy and obscurantism have made the campaign there deadly for the vaccinators, and the resulting rise in polio cases have made Pakistan a pariah state.

Last week, after the number of new polio cases in the country reached 250, breaking a 13-year-old record, the International Health Regulation Committee (IHR) of the World Health Organisation warned Pakistan of global screening of its citizens if the country does not show significant performance in next six months.

Together we can make a big difference, says Saira Afzal Tarar

“Though Seht Ka Insaf programme (of the PTI government in KP) has been effective, one time intervention to get rid of polio was not enough,” observed Ms Tarar at Monday’s meeting.

“A sustained effort is needed to raise the immunity level of children,” she said noting that almost 90 per cent of the new cases are reported from KP and Fata, the federally administered tribal areas, where security is a problem.

“Security issues will be raised before the PM’s special cabinet committee on polio eradication,” said Ms Tarar.

She added that Imran Khan’s active participation would create awareness of the crippling disease among the people.

According to an official statement, the meeting said the federal government, in collaboration with the provincial government, would provide foolproof security to polio teams to conduct special vaccination campaigns in around 160 union councils of KP. Focus of the campaigns would be on the children of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Since 99 per cent cases of polio-hit children are under the age of two years, the meeting decided to concentrate on children of that age.

KP Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan assured strict disciplinary action against derelict campaign officials, while the deputy commissioner of the area where the polio vaccination target is not met would be transferred.

“It would be mandatory for the top hierarchy of Health Department and the district administration to monitor and supervise polio campaigns on the spot in order to enhance efficiency of the field staff and motivating general public,” said a statement after the officials meeting.

Special immunisation campaigns would be launched in Razmak, North Waziristan Agency, and Bara in Khyber Agency soon after the military operations underway there are completed. Similar campaigns are planned for Khyber, North Waziristan and South Waziristan agencies.

Grant for Polio Campaigns

Meanwhile the Government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) signed agreements on Monday to make sure children are vaccinated in Pakistan.

Under the agreement, the 562 million Japanese Yen ($5.4 million) worth grant will complement the Unicef’s commitment towards polio eradication effort during the period December 2014-November 2015.

This involves donation 15 million doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and 1.3 million doses of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) for children in high risk areas of Fata and Karachi.

One hundred solar ice-lined refrigerators (ILRs) for districts of KP and Fata, backup generators and temperature monitoring systems for strengthening the cold chain at Federal, KP, Balochistan and Fata vaccine stores will also be provided through grant.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2014