Pakistan has taken tremendous steps towards eradicating the wild poliovirus (WPV1) since its official campaign against the scourge in 1994. This year has seen mass vaccinations of over 10.5 million children. However, the country, and neighbouring Afghanistan, are not yet out of the woods.

Pakistan remains the leading country in the globe with 79 confirmed cases of WPV1 as at 28 October 2020, followed by Afghanistan. The two are the only countries in the world that are yet to declare themselves WPV1-free. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the globe, the fight for polio eradication is proving to be difficult, as the countries’ health care systems may not be in a position to manage the two life-threatening viruses. Nonetheless, it should be borne in mind that the fight against WPV1 had initially been hindered by speculation and propaganda even before COVID-19.

PROPOGANDA AND MISINFORMATION

Many parents and caregivers have been misled to believe that the WPV1 vaccine is not safe for their children. A majority of illiterate parents believe that the vaccine manufactured in Western countries is not meant for the intended purpose. Locals have gone to the extent of questioning the intentions of the vaccine manufacturers and their unwelcome concern for their children. They believe that this is just one of the schemes to have the Muslim population reduced, as the vaccines, they perceive, could cause sterility. 

In addition to this, religious leaders spread discontentment regarding the ingredients used to manufacture the vaccines. They have heightened the speculation that the vaccine contains ingredients that should not be consumed by Muslims, in accordance with their religious doctrines. The two ingredients in question are alcohol and pigs’ fat. They have been vocal, for decades, against the vaccination campaigns, warning their followers of dire side effects for any child who takes the vaccine. They also see it as a scheme to convert locals to Christianity.

The decades-long nationwide suspicion further escalated with news of the US Central Criminal Investigation Agency’s fake vaccine scandal, where a sham hepatitis vaccination campaign was orchestrated in Pakistan to obtain DNA from the children of Osama Bin Laden, in order to locate his hiding place. This lead powerful militant groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban to fuel anti-vaccination propaganda about the US spying on the citizens of Pakistan. They further circulated rumors that polio health workers were used as spies for the US government. Frontline health workers administering the vaccine bear the brunt of this misinformation campaign, with many being subjected to hostility and even death. 

CHILDREN PAY THE PRICE

Amidst all this propaganda and misinformation, it is clear that the most vulnerable to this highly contagious childhood disease are innocent children. It is only in extreme cases, where the child is already showing fatal signs and symptoms of WPV1, that guardians desperately seek medical attention. The severity of WPV1 often renders a child disabled. The disease attacks the nervous system and causes muscle weakness or paralysis. In extreme cases, it could cause death in a few hours, as the lungs also become paralysed. If attended to in time, one may still have to live with a disability, as the effects are irreversible. 

It is due to the fatality of WPV1 that Nelson Mandela, with the support of Rotary International, launched the Kick Polio Out Of Africa Campaign in 1996. 24 years later, Africa has been declared WPV1-Free. The last African country battling the virus, Nigeria, has not reported a single case in the past four years. 

Afghanistan had put the fight against WPV1 on halt due to COVID-19, only to resume in July this year, making it and Pakistan the only countries in the world yet to be free from the fatal childhood disease. This therefore poses a threat of WPV1 resurgence in other parts of the world, as a result of trade links to these endemic countries, and also through travels. For this reason, it is crucial for the World Health Organisation, the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and international organisations established to fight diseases, to join hands in the effort of stopping another future pandemic.

Diana is a final year student pursuing a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication (Public Relations) at Kibabii University. Digital Activist at Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa. A passionate advocate of SDGs 4 & 5. A volunteer Mentor for the Equity Group Foundation based in Kenya.

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