The country’s poliovirus tally for the year reached 32 as four more children were paralysed by the viral disease amid a continuous uptick in the cases. Despite persistent vaccination efforts by the government for polio eradication, Pakistan is gripped by the crippling disease.
Pakistan is one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan. The number of cases had significantly dropped in recent years, but the recent spike is concerning.
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus mainly affecting children under five years old, particularly those who are malnourished or have weak immunity due to being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated for polio and other childhood diseases. The illness invades the nervous system, causing paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease.
The resurgence of polio presents a significant setback for Pakistan’s eradication efforts. Officials are working to bolster vaccination campaigns and raise public awareness about the importance of immunisation. The four new cases emerged from three different regions: two from Jacobabad, one from Malir, and another from Dera Ismail Khan.
The Pakistan Polio Programme has laid out a strategic plan to curb virus transmission, aiming to halt its spread by mid-2025. The plan, developed in consultation with provincial authorities, focuses on reaching every child in high-risk areas, improving vaccination campaign quality, and strengthening community engagement.
A recent mass vaccination campaign in September targeted 33 million children under five across 115 districts. Another round is scheduled to begin on October 28, with officials emphasising the need to reach mobile and migrant populations as well.
However, a report by the Institute for Disease Modeling (IMD) has raised alarms about escalating wild poliovirus cases in Pakistan, fearing that the number could hit 55 to 65 by the end of 2024.
