Polio
As a result of the continuing threat posed by militants in North Waziristan, a planned three day anti-polio drive had to be canceled, leaving experts worried that the country stands on the brink of a polio epidemic.
North Waziristan is located close to Afghanistan, one of the four nations in the world where polio remains endemic. Past studies have shown that polio strains found in Afghanistan have been transmitted across the border.
New polio cases have been reported over the past few months in Swat, North Waziristan, and other ares in the conflict-zone. Experts have pointed to disrupted vaccine campaigns as a major factor in the outbreaks.
In addition to the threats of violence stalling vaccine programs, tribesman in the area have said that health workers in the area rarely venture beyond their agency’s headquarters to vaccinate children, leaving thousands of children in peril.
Experts told The Express Tribune that, in the face of continuing violence and fear, authorities need to work towards creating a situation to enable health teams to reach children at risk. Strategies put forth include training people to administer vaccines in some villages and delivering polio drops to them to fulfill the task.
An alternative plan calls for setting up vaccine centers in so-called "safe" areas and arranging for people to travel to them to receive vaccinations.
