A coordinated Pakistan & Afghanistan plan Joint Vaccination Campaign will be launched next month on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border. This initiative aims to address the 12 polio cases reported in Balochistan this year, which are attributed to cross-border movement.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is still endemic. Since January 2024, Pakistan has recorded 16 cases of poliovirus, with 12 of these cases emerging from Balochistan, a province that shares its border with five Afghan provinces.
During a press conference, Inamul Haq Qureshi, the Balochistan coordinator for the Emergency Operation Centre, announced that a five-day nationwide vaccination campaign will begin on September 9. This campaign will cover 36 districts in Balochistan, while a simultaneous vaccination drive will also be launched in Afghanistan on the same day.
Authorities attribute the surge in polio cases in Balochistan to cross-border movement. Inamul Haq Qureshi emphasized the ongoing coordination between Pakistani and Afghan officials in Kandahar to address the virus situation.
He revealed that 12 children in Balochistan have been diagnosed with poliovirus this year, three of whom have tragically passed away, underscoring the life-threatening nature of the virus.
The rising number of cases in Balochistan is attributed to several factors, including population movement, parental refusal to vaccinate children, and nutritional deficiencies that weaken immunity. Inamul Haq Qureshi also raised concerns about forged immunization data, with 534 out of over 4,000 suspected workers in the Quetta division reportedly involved in falsifying vaccination records. Following an investigation, 74 polio workers were dismissed for their involvement in the scandal.
Despite these challenges, Balochistan was on the verge of being declared polio-free, having reported no cases for 28 months until one emerged in February, 2024. However, recent sewage samples from last year indicate the presence of the poliovirus in 17 districts across the province, with the situation becoming increasingly alarming following the deaths of three children in the past four months.
Inamul Haq Qureshi highlighted that incomplete vaccination coverage and border area mobility remain significant obstacles to eradicating polio. To combat these challenges, a comprehensive strategy has been developed, with calls for media and parental cooperation to protect children from this debilitating disease.
He also mentioned that one of the recent cases in Qila Abdullah involved a child who had migrated from Karachi and contracted the virus.
