Pakistan Has Started Its 2020 Polio Eradication Drive & Let’s Hope We Get It Right This Time

Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world where polio still prevails.

Read: How Imran Khan’s Close Aide, Babar Bin Atta Destroyed Pakistan’s Efforts To Eradicate Polio

Polio is a neuro-degenerative disease that causes paralysis in the limbs or even in the respiratory system, and death.

via GIPHY

Read : Ashton Kutcher Gave A Shout Out To Irfanullah, The Heroic Polio Worker From Swat!

Pakistan has had trouble with eradicating polio for quite some time now. The main reasons are socio-cultural barriers along with hard to access terrain and vague idea about the population.

Read: These Pakistani Polio Workers Are The Reason Behind Country’s Successful Polio Drive

The current initiative has undertaken the Polio Eradication Campaign 2020 from 17^th February, except for Karachi, which commenced a week earlier.

via GIPHY

The aim is to vaccinate a total of 39.6 million children through a workforce of 265,000 Polio-workers that will conduct a door to door campaign.

Polio ke qatray pilao, polio ko harao…

Let's join hands and eradicate #polio IA…#PolioVaccine#PolioFreePakistan pic.twitter.com/CXcqPGOSCn

— 🇹🇷 Mustafa Yurdakul /مصطفی (@Mustafa_MFA) February 19, 2020

As long as a single case of the virus remains, there’s a chance of a full-blown epidemic.

پولیو ویکسین کے فوائد یقینی ہیں۔
مذہبی اسکالر مولانا ثناء اللہ کا پاکستان کو پولیو سے پاک بنانے کیلئے تمام والدین کیلئے پیغام!#VaccinesWork #EndPolio pic.twitter.com/82UpNgA8vZ

— Pak Fights Polio (@PakFightsPolio) February 19, 2020

In past, polio eradication drives have been partially successful but the efforts were not enough to completely eradicate it.

پولیو سے متعلق پروپیگنڈے اور افواہوں پر کان نہ دھریں۔ اپنے بچوں کے محفوظ مستقبل سے متعلق ہم سے پوچھیں یا آپ کا بچہ انسداد پولیو قطرے پینے سے محروم رہ گیا ہے تو صحت تحفظ ہیلپ لائن 1166 پر آگاہ کریں۔ pic.twitter.com/gDSdreL8mx

— Pak Fights Polio (@PakFightsPolio) February 19, 2020

Last year, in 2019, about 11.78 million children were vaccinated, however, an increase in the number of cases was seen comparing to the year 2018.

Polio teams will go door to door in Balochistan to reach more than 2.4 million children with vaccine during the ongoing Nationwide #endpolio Campaign. You can protect your child from lifelong disability with frequent vaccination. For more info. dial 📞1166. pic.twitter.com/q9iSZ11Mln

— Pak Fights Polio (@PakFightsPolio) February 19, 2020

Read: Airport Staff Was Caught On Camera Demanding Bribe From Pakistani Passengers For Coronavirus Clearance & It’s Enraging!

In 2018, there were 18 cases which rose to 86 in 2019 and the increase can be attributed to immunization gaps and lack of political will.

Minister for Health @Dr_YasminRashid welcomes UNSG @antonioguterres as he visits a school in Lahore to administer polio drops to children and reiterate his support to the polio eradication efforts in Pakistan #EndPolio 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/jtTps54NGF

— Pak Fights Polio (@PakFightsPolio) February 18, 2020

The cost of Polio eradication campaign is significantly less than what it costs to treat it. Pakistan has been active in the fight against polio and hopefully it will be the last time we have to fight polio.