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| 09 June 2002 | Sunday | 27 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1423 |
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SWABI: Smallpox epidemic spreading in Swabi
By Muqaddam Khan
SWABI, June 8: The smallpox epidemic is rapidly spreading in these parts of
the province, but the district health department has failed to take any step
to contain this deadly disease, Dawn learnt here on Saturday.
It has been reported from different parts of the Swabi district that a large
number of children have suffered from smallpox, but the authorities
concerned have failed to take any action to prevent this disease or immunize
the people against it.
Smallpox is a fatal disease which causes high fever, leaves permanent marks
on the skin and spreads very fast. Timely treatment and precautionary
measures are vital for controlling this malady.
A health official said that the dilemma of the people was that they were not
aware of the danger aspects of this ailment as the children suffering from
it have neither been kept in isolation nor properly treated. And this
resulted in the spread of the virus.
In most of the cases, the children of a family or those living close to each
other, contract it at one and the same time.
The residents of Naro Banda, a rural area in the district, told this
correspondent that a majority of the children in the village had suffered
from smallpox a few years back. "My two brothers, Shams and Akhtar, have
been afflicted by smallpox and I have appealed to the officials concerned,
but they did not bother either to visit the area or take steps for
controlling it," said Mukhtaj Ahmad of Naro Banda.
The mother of a sick child said she had informed the lady health workers
about the spread of the disease four days ago, but no action was taken.
It was also noticed that most of the parents of the sick children were
uneducated. They had either approached the quack living nearby, or the
self-made homeopath doctors to treat the children, but no visible
improvement could be seen in the health of the children.
If the district health department delayed taking steps for containing the
disease, the epidemic may spread to other areas in the vicinity, or the
whole of the district, for that matter.
The suffering people have appealed to the NWFP governor, district government
bosses and health officials to send in special teams to extend necessary
health cover to the children.
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