Daily Times

The poliomyelitis disease is not a novel disease that suddenly appeared and prevalent everywhere the planet as well as Pakistan. The history of it went back to era of Egypt in 1350 – before Christ and exhibited that the poliovirus was existed since then. However, in early twentieth century, it became one amongst theforemost feared diseases and a major public health issue in industrialized countries and harming hundreds of thousands of children per annum. However, after breakthrough in 1952 when the Dr. Jonas Salk began to develop the first effective vaccine against the virus, poliomyelitis brought in restraint. In USA alone cases fell from 35,000 in 1953 to 5,300 in 957. In 1961, Albert Sabin developed an easy administrable oral vaccine (OPV). This OPV has created a miracle and the last case of type 2 was eradicated in September 2015 andtype 3 eradicated in October 2019. Sadly, Pakistan is one of amongst those countries where 65 cases reported in 2020 and last year in 2019 remains 147.

There are many reasons and foremost is that the overall conditions of our country, which provides contributory surroundings for it’s, unfold. An emergency was declared in 2014 by an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee and results has been showing and cases began to fall in numbers and reaches to eight cases in 2018. In fact, this polio vaccine is also part of the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) initiated by world health organization (WHO) in 1978 but still having around 60 to 70%, the success rate varies between rural and urban areas. With the vary of 2-5 % of the Gross National Product (GNP) spent on health care, an adequate health infrastructure and service delivery system is severely lacking in many parts of the country. Though there is an ample financial support from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), we are botched to achieve the adequate completion rate for immunization due to a scarcity of transparency in governance, a pervasive lack of accountability, an under-resourced public health delivery service and a poorly regulated private health sector.

Pakistan cannot achieve a target for immunization of six killer diseases in general and specifically an eradication of the polio until strengthening health infrastructure and give a priority to the primary health care sector

I in personsupported allabove-mentionedchallenges but there is a remarkable side of this issue that has relevancyto our existing educational system. There is another essential, howevermisinterpreted constituent of our culture, that is a religious factor. Misguidedly, which builds a parental refusal causes a significant deterrent to the campaigns. There is an unneeded propaganda such as vaccines can harm or sterilize children, or contains monkey or pig derived products, which is verboten in Islam, is the final nail in the coffin. In Pakistan, though we have seen a remarkable political will for eradication of polio, however, until this political will, not convert into a true action then no benefit. I can appreciate the efforts created by the previous government in 2006 and currently in 2020 for reviewing and make changes within the curriculum from grass root level ranging from grade one to eight. As typical, there is a political will to form a true modificationwithin the curriculum,howeverdoes notappear to be born-again into a true action and obtaining a true impact. There are several reasons for this doubt as morning shows the day; the method adopted for changes in the curriculum not being followed properly. Unluckily, we tend to invariably hear claims from the governments for focusing to establish an equal educational system nonetheless did not see any outcome.

The experts also have concerns that would we tend to be able to succeed the result that there will be no misconception about the polio vaccineand tend to assurethat no one will play the emotions of the folks supported spiritual issueexploitation once study in this alleged “Equal Education System Curriculum”, for instance. I actually do not perceive that why we do not adopt a correct technique for planning and designing of something in our country. As an example, have we done any study to measure a range of cognitive load appropriate for our children before planning any development in the school curriculum? In fact, the curriculum development committee consists of almost more than four hundred people, howeverno one enclosed from experience of the curriculum development, there was no team of psychologist and major flaw is that main stakeholder that is public is missing within the process. The whole curriculum’s outcome is predicated on a lot of towards Islamic education and main opinions have beentaken from the religious schools’ (medarsa) owners. In order to keep balance among all subjects, the government needs to involve more experts based on the expertise rather than a political pressure

Of course, all Pakistani are happy to give Islamic education to their children, howeverwith other scientific knowledge, if would really like to own an equal education systemin Pakistan. Believe me, not solely the changes in the curriculum will alter the mindsets of our people. It needs to be thoughtof achievable goals and a clear direction, a good leadership, competent teachers, conducive and secure environment and preschool education. Considering equality in the system, it’s terribly tough to this point to see a balance type of education system because accessibility of many instructional system choices that are still opened once completion of eight grade.Notwithstanding we have a tendency to ignore the reality and settle for this that equality educational system, then what regardingunenrolled and born out children. As a revelation, one report strikingly reported that Pakistan among the highest number of out-of-school children worldwide after Nigeria: approximately 22.7 million Pakistan children age 5 to 16 (44%) did not attend school in 2017, will we have any set up for them?

Bottom line Pakistan cannot achieve a target for immunization of six killer diseases in general and specifically an eradication of the polio until strengthening health infrastructure and give a priority to the primary health care sector. In addition, this should be coupled with a good balance education systemwhere all socioeconomic groups develop a good understanding of scientific knowledge with clear Islamic concepts.

The writer is Public Health Specialist & Family Physician, and Head & Assistant Professor Family & Community Medicine Department,College of Medicine, King Faisal University