Polio Campaign and Tribals

The Tribal areas of Pakistan share amongst them the most unique culture and lifestyle in the world. It may look too awkward to say that the literacy rate of these areas may hardly be 10%. Nature wise, they are a touch offensive, straightforward, hardworking and a great deal of simplicity also comprise their nature along with these qualities.

The tribesmen spend their lives with their typical tribal lifestyle. They decide and judge different issues with their own system and neither care what other societies or people would think about them nor they get afraid of any sort of consequences when they take an action. Religion plays the most important part in their lifestyle. They follow Islam with great faith and enthusiasm and obey the Molvis (Preachers) blindly.

As far as the Polio campaign is concerned, it has always been a big issue in the Tribal areas. Although the no of Polio Vaccine refusers have decreased a great much for the last 10 years or so yet there are many people who still object. The refusers express various reasons in which the religious factor is probably the most prominent. Some think that the Polio vaccination is actually a campaign against the fertility rate. Vaccination may cause infertility in people to reduce population, they think. Others think that the Polio campaign is done to induce nudity and obscenity in the Tribal areas by arranging the Polio teams into male and female partner workers. This directly attacks the Pardha (Veil) system of the females in the Tribal areas. Beside these two main reasons, many other small reasons may also be observed. The people of the Tribal areas are mostly against the policies of the USA. They think that WHO works at the disposal of the American Govt. So how can America destroy Muslims on one hand and help to protect their children against certain diseases on the other hand. Due to these reasons many children get deprived of the Polio as well as EPI vaccines.

If the Govt of Pakistan recommends Polio vaccination for its people then it must be authentic and approved both by the ministry of health and the Islamic laws. Then this problem needs to be solved in the Tribal areas and it may become possible by two important means. (1) Increasing literacy rate would enhance self judgment capability of the Tribal people. (2) The religious leaders if are sincere and aware of the importance of the Polio vaccination, should emphasize on vaccination and it is obvious that the refusers in the Tribal areas would not oppose the Polio campaigns after being encouraged by their respective religious leaders. Once the children of such families get the basic health cares, they would spare a healthy life and may avoid any sort of disability. It is worth mentioning here that the majority of the Tribal people take Polio vaccines as well as other basic primary health care facilities.