Words of warning

In its 11th annual report, the Independent Monitoring Board that runs under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, backed by WHO and other organisations, has not minced words about Pakistan’s failures to eliminate a disease that has been wiped out in all but two other nations – Nigeria and Afghanistan. While some words of praise have been offered for stepped up efforts, stern warnings form the nucleus of the report which singles out Pakistan for sharp scrutiny, asking us not to fall into complacency. The risks of this happening would arise from the fact that this year Pakistan has so far recorded 22 cases of polio, compared to 61 at the same time last year. Its record at the end of 2014 stood at 306, the largest figure for almost two decades.
But despite the improvement we seem to be seeing, the IMB has identified areas that require attention. It has said that problems that lead to front-line health workers not being paid their dues need to be fixed within four weeks. This is obviously essential to the morale of workers who also face a constant threat of death. Monthly meetings of the National Task Force on polio, which currently meets less frequently, have been advised along with regular briefings to the prime minister. The IMB has suggested a global summit needs to be held to look into the problem of children who are ‘missed’ and in the context of Pakistan has expressed concern over the situation in all the provinces, except Punjab, citing Peshawar as a point of particular concern. Pakistan needs to take heed of all these points. We simply cannot afford to ignore them. As the report points out, the last eradication date, set for 2014, was missed. Even if the next one, 2016, is met more children will have suffered in the meanwhile. This deadly battle will have to be won soon.