By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Pakistan reported two new polio cases in the southern Sindh province on Tuesday, highlighting the challenges facing the country’s vaccination drive.
The latest polio cases, one in the Karachi East district and the other in the port city’s Sujawal district, brought the nationwide 2024 tally to 26. The new cases involve a seven-year-old girl paralyzed by polio in Karachi East and a 12-month-old boy in Sujawal district.
This year’s cases are spread across four provinces, with 15 cases reported in Balochistan, seven in Sindh, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
“No child anywhere is safe until all children in Pakistan are repeatedly vaccinated for polio, building a wall of protection so the virus cannot break through,” the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, said.
“It is heartbreaking that Pakistani children are still being threatened by a disease that can be easily prevented with the help of an easily available polio vaccine.”
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains one of the last two polio-endemic countries globally. Despite significant progress since the launch of its eradication program in 1994, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases since late 2018, highlighting the fragility of gains made in the preceding years.
The country has faced numerous challenges in its fight against polio, including militancy, which has resulted in attacks on polio workers, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Pakistan Polio Programme aims to interrupt transmission by mid-2025 through a strategic plan focusing on high-risk areas, improved vaccination campaigns, and community engagement. These efforts aim to close immunity gaps and curb the spread of poliovirus. However, ensuring the safety of frontline workers and addressing ongoing disruptions remain critical concerns.
A recent mass vaccination campaign targeted 33 million children under five across 115 districts, with another round scheduled for Oct. 28.
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