Pakistan's polio tally reaches 46 with latest case in Balochistan

Pakistan has confirmed its 46th case of wild poliovirus (WPV1) in 2024, with the latest case detected in a male child from the Killa Saifullah district of Balochistan.

The detection was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health on 4 November.

This marks the second reported polio case from Killa Saifullah, where environmental samples had previously tested positive for the virus. To date, Balochistan has been the most affected province, with 23 cases reported. Other provinces have also seen a rise in cases, including 12 in Sindh, 9 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.

Photo: Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme

The continuing spread of the virus across 76 districts indicates the widespread circulation of WPV1, posing a serious and ongoing risk to children’s health. The genetic sequencing of the sample collected from the child is currently underway.

Balochistan's challenges in combating polio have been particularly severe this year, with several vaccination campaigns disrupted by localized protests and security concerns. This has contributed to the high number of cases in the region, underlining the risks associated with missed vaccinations.

Experts have emphasised the importance of ensuring that every child under five years of age receives multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to prevent the spread of the virus. The government continues to urge parents to complete their children’s vaccination schedules and ensure they are fully protected.

Earlier Punjab successfully wrapped up its third and final national polio immunisation drive of the year, with health teams vaccinating thousands of children on the last day of the campaign. The drive, which concluded on 3 November, was part of a nationwide effort to prevent the circulation of the poliovirus in the region.

The campaign covered 33 districts across the province, with the exception of Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad, where the vaccination drive was extended until 5 November to ensure full coverage. In total, over 200,000 vaccination teams went door-to-door, targeting areas where children had previously been marked as "not-available" for vaccination.

Preliminary figures revealed that by the sixth day of the campaign, more than 23 million children had been vaccinated in Punjab alone. Lahore led the province with over 2.2 million children vaccinated, followed by Faisalabad with 1.5 million and Rahim Yar Khan with more than 1.1 million. The national polio immunisation drive, which began on 28 October, aimed to vaccinate a total of 23.3 million children across Punjab.

Polio drive battles militants, mistrust

Pakistan’s battle to eradicate polio is facing serious setbacks, as militant attacks and misinformation hinder vaccination efforts. While Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio remains endemic, the virus continues to spread, especially affecting children under five, causing life-long paralysis in many cases.

In a tragic incident last week, seven people, including five children, were killed in a bombing targeting police who were guarding vaccine teams. Earlier, two police officers were gunned down by militants.

Mistrust surrounding the vaccine has also been a major obstacle. Misleading claims by some religious clerics, falsely accusing the vaccine of containing pork or alcohol, have contributed to resistance. Additionally, a 2011 CIA-backed fake vaccination campaign, intended to track Osama bin Laden, further deepened suspicions about the vaccine’s legitimacy.

The situation has been exacerbated by the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2021, with militant groups operating across the border, making vaccination teams and their security personnel prime targets for violence.