New year, same crisis

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It has taken barely three weeks for Pakistan to register its first polio case of the year, with the National Emergency Operation Centre confirming one in Dera Ismail Khan district of K-P. The new case serves as a sobering reminder of the persistent threat posed by this paralysing disease. As one of the last two countries in the world where polio remains endemic, Pakistan continues to grapple with challenges that hinder its efforts to eradicate the virus.

The confirmation of the polio case also reflects the connection between conflict and disease. Of the 73 cases registered last year, a disproportionate number were in K-P and Balochistan, both of which have serious security problems. This grim fact underscores the need for renewed commitment and action. It should be noted, however, that Sindh also reported 22 cases, meaning that Punjab and Islamabad - with one case each - were the only areas with 'low' infection rates.

The upcoming polio vaccination campaign scheduled in early February is a crucial opportunity for stakeholders, including parents, health workers and government officials, to rally together in the fight against the devastating disease. But optimism, as expressed by the government, is not enough. Effective strategies that address problems such as vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation, lack of public awareness and security issues for vaccinators are urgently needed.

In December, Steven Lauwerier, Unicef's director for polio eradication, noted that while the "polio situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan looks nothing like it did 20 or 30 years ago, when 20,000 children or more were paralyzed by polio each year", and both countries brought annual cases down to levels where eradication became a genuine possibility in the early 2020s. But in the years since, there have been massive outbreaks in both countries.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last remaining hurdles to making polio go the way of smallpox - a footnote in history.