IT is a matter of national shame that the polio virus still threatens the children of Pakistan, despite several years of intensified eradication efforts. It reflects poorly on the Pakistani state and society; perhaps the reason for the campaign’s failure is that the state has not treated polio as the crisis it is. The World Health Organisation has recently warned that a polio outbreak is imminent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency, where security forces are battling the militants, has, in fact, had no vaccination campaign since September 2009 and is the only place in Asia where type-3 polio cases were reported in 2011 and 2012.

As highlighted by the WHO warning, the volatile security situation is perhaps the main imperative behind immunising children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in the province’s conflict zones, as well as the neighbouring tribal belt. Yet there are other factors as well, such as lack of satisfactory coverage in areas not considered conflict zones. While the anti-polio policy might appear effective on paper, its implementation leaves much to be desired. The WHO suggestion that checkpoints be set up at locations where families fleeing the conflict pass through should be implemented so that vulnerable children can be immunised, while countrywide efforts should be made to target mobile populations. Four polio sanctuaries have been identified in Pakistan — Karachi, Quetta, Qila Abdullah and Pishin. Concentrated efforts are needed to immunise children under five in these regions, especially in Karachi and Quetta, where accessibility is not generally an issue. Successive governments have failed to involve mosques and schools in anti-polio campaigns; this shortcoming must be addressed, as the persuasive powers of the pulpit are considerable in this country. If semi-literate clerics can spread baseless propaganda about the polio vaccine, legitimate scholars can surely be brought on board to emphasise the necessity of getting children vaccinated. Public figures in general should get involved in anti-polio efforts, while men should be convinced about the need to vaccinate children as they are the decision-makers in most Pakistani families.