ISLAMABAD – The number of polio cases in Pakistan is increasing ahead of a new vaccination drive, highlighting the ongoing challenges posed by violence against health care workers and security forces tasked with their protection. These issues have significantly hindered the country’s long-standing efforts towards eradicating polio.
As reported by Anwarul Haq from the National Emergency Operation Center for Polio Eradication, Pakistan has recorded 39 new polio cases since January, a substantial rise compared to just six cases in the previous year. As the new nationwide immunization campaign is set to commence on October 28, health officials are aiming to vaccinate a minimum of 32 million children. “These campaigns aim to achieve the milestone of making Pakistan a polio-free nation,” Haq stated.
Despite the dangers associated with polio vaccination initiatives—where health workers and police support have faced violent attacks—Pakistan continues to roll out vaccination campaigns. Some militant groups falsely propagate the notion that these health efforts are part of a Western agenda to sterilize children.
The majority of the new polio cases have emerged from Balochistan in the southwest and Sindh in the south, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in the east. These geographic locations raise concerns for officials, particularly as recent occurrences had previously been concentrated in the unstable northwest region bordering Afghanistan. Since September, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has unexpectedly halted a door-to-door vaccination program, which is prompting fears of broader implications on polio transmission across the border.
Currently, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries where polio persists, posing a significant public health threat. Pakistani authorities have emphasized that the Taliban’s actions could lead to severe consequences that extend beyond the Afghan frontier, given the frequent cross-border travel between the two nations.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year, with the majority located in the southern part of the country—the figure marks an increase from six cases reported in 2023. For the first time in five years, Afghanistan implemented a house-to-house vaccination approach in June, which has been pivotal in reaching a large number of targeted children, as per WHO data.
Health officials in Pakistan are advocating for synchronized anti-polio campaigns on both sides of the border, hoping to foster a cohesive and effective response to the disease.