ISLAMABAD, Oct 22 (Alliance News): Polio is once again spreading in Pakistan, with officials reporting that more than 1 million children missed their vaccination doses last month.
This underscores the significant challenges faced in eradicating one of the world’s most stubborn diseases.
In October, authorities reported over a dozen new polio cases, raising the total infections this year to 39. This is a stark increase compared to just six cases last year, when the country seemed close to eliminating the virus.
Ayesha Raza, the Focal Person to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Polio Eradication, attributed the rise in cases to low vaccine uptake.
She noted that about 1 million children missed their polio vaccinations in September, which has worsened an existing immunity gap that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic when immunization efforts were disrupted.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under five, attacking the nervous system and potentially causing paralysis, respiratory problems, and even death.
It spreads through contaminated water or food, and while there is no cure, it can be prevented through vaccination. Global immunization campaigns have reduced polio cases by over 99% since the 1980s.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic.
The UN health agency has also recently cautioned about a resurgence of the disease in Gaza due to ongoing conflicts.
In Pakistan, vaccination programs have faced hurdles due to historical distrust of foreign health care providers. Allegations surrounding a fake immunization program used by U.S. intelligence to capture Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in 2011 have heightened these suspicions.
Additionally, religious beliefs and misinformation about polio continue to obstruct public health initiatives.
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child in Lahore on September 9, 2024.
Most recent cases have been reported in southwestern Balochistan province, bordering Afghanistan, where local officials indicate that misinformation and distrust of health care providers have led to parental reluctance in vaccinating children.
Many of the recently infected children had only received partial vaccinations.
Raza mentioned that reported cases are expected to rise further as Pakistan enhances its surveillance efforts. “A lot of work is being done to fill the gaps that we’ve missed in the past,” she said.
The increase in polio cases coincides with a rise in violent attacks against vaccination clinics, targeting police and security personnel.
Over the years, militants have targeted anti-polio campaigns in Pakistan, often claiming that vaccines are part of a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.
This year, there have been 27 attacks on polio workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone. In September, armed militants killed a police officer protecting a vaccination site in Bannu, prompting protests. Another shooting resulted in the deaths of a police officer and a polio worker in Bajaur.
Aftab Kakar, a representative for the Emergency Operation Center in Balochistan, noted that protests, insecurity, and community boycotts have disrupted vaccination campaigns, leading to many missed children who could sustain the virus’s transmission.
In some instances, children have been incorrectly marked as vaccinated when they have not received the vaccine.
Despite the surge in cases, Pakistani authorities remain optimistic about halting the disease’s spread. A new nationwide polio vaccination campaign is set to launch on October 28, aiming to immunize 45 million children under the age of five.
“Polio eradication is Pakistan’s top priority,” the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme stated on social media. “A unified plan with provinces aims to stop polio transmission by 2025.”
