Pakistan: Ignorance Hinders Battle Against Polio

According to this article, there have been 12 cases of polio detected in Pakistan since January 2006, five of which were discovered in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). In neighbouring Afghanistan, the number of polio cases has quadrupled in 2006 and officials believe that the cases in NWFP are linked to the spread of the disease in Afghanistan.

In response to the rise in polio cases, mass vaccination campaigns have been carried out across Pakistan, however, health officials are facing resistance to vaccination with parents refusing to allow their children to be given the Oral Polio Vaccine. Health officials state that parents are refusing to vaccinate due to ignorance, the belief that the vaccination programme is anti-Islamic and rumors that the vaccine causes infertility.

According to the article, a petition filed by Ghulam Nabi calling for the end of the United States polio eradication campaign, has fuelled the anti-vaccination rumours circulating in some communities. The petition claims that the vaccine contains high levels of estrogen, which can affect human reproduction. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pakistan government have denied Nabi’s claim, and are calling on people to ensure that children under five years old are vaccinated.