ISLAMABAD: In 2020, there was one case of polio in the whole of Pakistan but this year, the country has recorded 37 cases already. When the week began on Monday, reports regarding one case surfaced, taking the total number to 33 but on Friday, four cases were reported from different places. These cases were those of a 30-month-old girl from Lakki Marwat, an 18-month-old girl from Pishin, a nine-month-old baby boy from Chaman, and a five-year-old boy from Noshki, according to Federal health officials.
According to health experts, in 2024, only $80 million were allocated in Pakistan for polio eradication across the country, while in 2023, the sum allocated was $187 million. This indicates that declining funds, a cut of $107 million in a year, seems to have impacted the eradication program. In 2022, a sum of $180 million was allocated for the National Polio Eradication Programme.
On Monday, a three-year-old boy from Quetta in Balochistan had become the 33rd case to be reported. The victim had not received any routine immunization doses and his parents said that he had received supplementary immunization activity (SIA) doses off and on. Most of Pakistan’s mainline newspapers, TV channels and portals have reported the worrying spike in the polio cases.
According to officials, the number of polio cases in impoverished Balochistan now stands at 20, while Sindh has reported 10 cases. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen five cases, and Punjab and Islamabad have each confirmed one case. In Balochistan, the immunisation efforts made by the health officials have remained tardy and the figures are often fudged.
Officials from the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) said that environmental samples from Quetta district and Quetta block have consistently tested positive for Wild Polio Virus 1 (WPV1) this year, indicating continued circulation of the virus and heightened risk to children. In 2024 alone, at least 37 positive environmental samples and three cases have been reported from Quetta, while Quetta block has reported 65 positive samples and 11 cases.
If Pakistan fails to control the virus this year, the global eradication efforts could be in jeopardy. There is a real risk of the virus spreading fast to claim more victimes, reversing years of progress. Without immediate action, Pakistan could see a significant rise in polio cases by the end of 2024, which would be a devastating setback for the country and the global fight against polio. It bears mention here that along with Pakistan, Afghanistan remains a country where prevalence of polio is still being reported.
It needs to be mentioned here that India had achieved the milestone of eradicating polio in late 2023. This had happened after almost three decades of constant vigil, immunisation and spending hundreds of crores of rupees.
Incidentally, Pakistan Occupied Jammu Kashmir (POJK) has not reported a single case for almost a decade since 2015. In Gilgit-Baltistan, on the other hand, one polio case was reported in the year 2017.
Most of the polio cases in 2024 have been concentrated in KP and Balochistan but positive environmental samples have been detected in Islamabad, Sindh and Punjab too. This clearly indicates that the virus is still active in several parts of the country and a nationwide targeted program alone can help combat this menace.
Taking cognisance of the alarming situation, the government has intensified its focus on ensuring that all children under the age of five are vaccinated. A special initiative, the “Big Catch-Up,” is underway to cover children who have missed routine vaccinations. This effort is vital to combatting not only polio but also 11 other vaccine-preventable childhood diseases, according to a report of The News International.
