Pak tribal elders take polio drops to raise awareness

As countries across the globe today observed World Polio Day, tribal elders in northwest Pakistan set a unique example by taking polio drops in a bid to offset the impact of the negative propaganda by Taliban against the immunisations in the worst-affected region.
The tribal elders in South Waziristan Agency arranged a jirga (council) where polio drops were administered to all the elders.
On the occasion, they made a pledge that they will not only administer polio drops to their own kids but would also play key role in administering the same to other kids in their surroundings.
"We want elimination of this crippling disease from our soil once for all," a tribal elder said.

Pakistan, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of polio cases globally, faces massive resistance to its anti-polio efforts by Taliban militants, who consider the vaccines a conspiracy to sterile Muslims and regularly attack polio workers and their police escorts to discourage immunisation campaigns.
Pakistan, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, are the only three countries in the world where polio remains endemic.
The number of new polio cases in Pakistan has increased to a record 220. Most of the cases were detected in the northwestern region which is controlled by Taliban.