In under two days, Pakistan administers polio vaccinations to over 10 million kids as part of their initial anti-polio campaign.
The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has announced the commencement of a week-long polio immunization drive across Pakistan, starting on September 15. This campaign, which coincides with efforts in Afghanistan – the only other country where polio remains endemic – aims to immunize 28.7 million children under five years old across 99 high-risk districts.
The drive comes amidst various challenges. Natural disasters, such as flooding, have complicated nationwide polio eradication efforts. As a result, the polio drive in nine Punjab districts has been postponed due to flooding.
In the first two days of the campaign, over 10.6 million children have been vaccinated nationwide, with varying vaccination rates in different regions. Punjab has vaccinated 23% of its targeted children, Sindh 47%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 41%, Balochistan 49%, Islamabad 44%, Gilgit-Baltistan 59%, and Azad Kashmir 65%.
Pakistan's polio teams have faced frequent militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with health workers and security personnel losing their lives while administering polio drops in remote communities.
Despite these challenges, the campaign is crucial as polio is an incurable and highly infectious virus that causes lifelong paralysis. The eradication of polio requires repeated doses of oral vaccine and routine immunizations.
In 2024, Pakistan recorded 74 cases of polio, a significant increase from six in 2023 and just one in 2021. This underscores the importance of the current campaign.
However, vaccine hesitancy, fuelled by misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners, continues to undermine polio eradication efforts in Pakistan. The campaign, therefore, faces an uphill battle in ensuring the immunization of every eligible child.
The polio drive in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will begin on September 15, marking a significant step towards the eradication of this crippling disease in Pakistan. The success of this campaign will depend on the collective efforts of the government, health workers, and the community at large.
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