New polio case detected in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Around 600,000 children would deprived of anti-polio vaccination due to security problems in southern Helmand province where a new polio case has detected, an official said Monday.

The views were expressed by Helmand public health director, Dr. Aminullah Abid, during the beginning of an anti-polio vaccination campaign today.

He said the Taliban have ordered that all the children should be vaccinated in mosques, something which was against the public health ministry policy.

“The Taliban shadow governor for Helmand, Mullah Manan had ordered all officials that anti-polio vaccination should be implemented in mosques for the protection of civilians and vaccine volunteers from possible airstrikes,”  he said.

He added that around 785,000 children needed to be vaccinated but nearly 600,000 of them will deprive from the campaign due to the Taliban’s last decision.

“It is the policy of the public health ministry that vaccinators should implement the anti-polio campaign home by home because some people do not take out their newly born babies and women are not allowed to go out of home, these are the reasons many children would deprive of vaccination,” Abid said.

He said that they talked with Islamic scholars, tribal elders and the Taliban about the matter but failed to reach a solution.

On the other hand, Abid said that a new polio case was detected in Naad Ali district of Helmand.

Dr. Esmatullah Himmat, in charge of immunization in Helmand public health, said that the new polio case was detected in Nari Manda area of Naad Ali district.

“The conflict is ongoing from long time in this area and the children there are deprived of vaccination,” he said.

He said that both legs of a child were paralyzed in the mentioned area.

According to Helmand public health officials, five polio cases detected in Kandahar, one in Nangarhar, two in Kunar and one, which recently discovered, in Helmand during the current year.

mds