Pakistan Records 40th Polio Case on World Polio Day as PM Reaffirms Eradication Commitment

Another blow came in Pakistan’s fight against polio as health officials reported the year’s 40th polio case from Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed the circulation of WPV1 in a two-and-a-half-year-old baby from Kohat, which is the second case reported this year. The increase in new cases comes as violence against vaccination workers intensifies, with 27 reported attacks in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Increased Cases While Facing Security Issues

Balochistan stands on top of the provincial count with 20 cases and is followed by Sindh with 12 cases and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with six cases. Punjab and Islamabad have reported one case this year. It has been made worse by militant attacks on vaccination teams, the latest being those in Bannu and Bajaur that led to the killing of two policemen and a polio worker.

But authorities are prepared for a massive vaccination drive scheduled for October 28, to vaccinate 45 million children below five years of age. It is a new milestone for Pakistan to fight the virus, but many problems are still in place: security or access to the remote.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on the occasion of World Polio Day that Pakistan is committed to eradicating polio. He thanked the WHO, UNICEF and BMGF for their ongoing support and the dedication of health workers who continued to go to work under tough conditions.

The government has done even more by way of the National Emergency Action Plan that seeks to extend health as well as trying to overcome fake news. The work has reflected the fact that one reason for cause for alarm is coordination at the regional level with a special focus on Afghanistan, given cross-border transmission that also offers a glimpse of Pakistan’s tiered approach towards making polio-free countries.