March 13, 2015 06:57 UTC
[h=1]Pakistan Arrests Parents for Refusing Polio Vaccines[/h] ... The parents were arrested during a polio vaccination campaign in the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Polio cases have been confirmed in the area. The detained parents were sent to jails for refusing the polio vaccine for their children. Officials say the detainees will be freed only after writing an apology and promising their children will get the vaccine.
The three-day campaign aimed to vaccinate more than 2.7 million children across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province. In 2014, Pakistan reported 306 new polio cases, its highest number in 14 years. This year, the country has recorded 13 polio cases, mostly in the northwest.
The rise in cases last year led international donors to pressure the government to make sure immunization campaigns reach every child.
Rotary International is among the donors helping Pakistan and other countries improve their anti-polio efforts. Aziz Memon is the group?s National PolioPlus Chair for Pakistan. He admits security concerns and political unrest have hurt the effort. He says the country can help remove polio as a health threat.
