Pakistan launches ‘nationwide polio vaccination drive’ as cases climb to 63
Pakistan has reported four new polio cases, raising the total to 63 in 2024, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The latest cases were detected in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Jacobabad, and Sukkur, marking Sukkur’s first recorded polio case.
This year, 26 cases have been reported in Balochistan, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad. The highly contagious disease predominantly affects children under five, particularly those with weak immunity or inadequate vaccination. Notably, over 60% of the affected children had not received routine immunization.
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To address immunization gaps, a high-level committee led by Dr. Malik Muhtar Ahmed Barath, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Services, has been established. The committee includes provincial health directors and international representatives from WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its primary focus is improving coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), particularly in high-risk areas.
National Coordinator for the EOC, Capt. (retd) Anwar-ul-Haq, announced a nationwide polio vaccination campaign from December 16 to 22. The campaign aims to vaccinate 44 million children across 143 districts, although logistical challenges will exclude certain areas in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan has significantly reduced wild polio cases by 99% since the 1990s. However, the reintroduction of the YB3A genetic cluster of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2023 has spread the virus to 82 districts, complicating eradication efforts. Security issues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation continue to hinder vaccination campaigns.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, called for public cooperation to combat the disease. She urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated and appealed to media outlets to counter anti-vaccine propaganda.
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