ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday vowed to resist anti-vaxxers to ensure Pakistan remains polio-free, saying that those who opposed vaccination were partnering with the “forces of darkness.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic. Islamabad’s efforts to eliminate the disease have been hampered by the masses’ suspicion of foreign entities who fund vaccination programs and of the government itself.
Many in Pakistan believe the conspiracy theory that polio vaccines are part of a plot by Western outsiders to sterilize the country’s population. The masses’ doubts regarding polio campaigns were exacerbated in 2011 when the US Central Intelligence Agency set up a fake hepatitis vaccination program to gather intelligence on former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Violent attacks on polio volunteers and security personnel guarding them are common in Pakistan.
At an event held to commemorate World Polio Day in Islamabad, Kakar said it was ironic that some people were opposed to polio vaccination “in the name of religion.”
“It is not possible, we will resist it, we will take lead, we will contribute toward that [elimination of polio],” he said. “Eliminating polio along with all other ills faced by this society is our wholesome approach.
“How on God’s earth is it possible that you in its [religion’s] name inadvertently, consciously, unconsciously, willingly, unwillingly partner with the force of darkness.”
The potentially fatal, paralyzing disease mostly strikes children up to the age of 5 and typically spreads in contaminated water.
Kakar laid stress on the importance of the role faith healers and society can play in helping anti-vaxxers realize that they were actually partnering against a disease that is the “destroyer of humans.”
The caretaker prime minister paid tribute to the sacrifices of polio workers and security personnel guarding them, saying that they had paid the highest price for the cause.
“We must leave no room for the virus to spread and reach every child with the vaccines before the virus has a chance to permanently change their lives,” he said.
Caretaker Health Minister Nadeem Jan also paid homage to polio workers, saying that they were striving to achieve the mission of a polio-free Pakistan while facing several hardships and obstacles. He emphasized that community health workers should be acknowledged and honored so that their performance would improve on the basis of motivation.
On Oct. 2, Kakar launched a five-day campaign to vaccinate 44 million children across the country. According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, at least 350,000 polio workers participated in the drive to administer anti-polio vaccines to children aged 0-5 years.
On Sunday, Jan said Pakistan would launch a polio vaccination campaign from November in selected parts of the country where the virus is still present.
