QUETTA: A coordinated polio vaccination campaign will be launched on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border next month, responding to a dozen reported cases of the virus in Balochistan this year attributed to cross-border movement.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is still endemic. Since January 2024, Pakistan has reported 16 poliovirus cases, with 12 from Balochistan, which borders five Afghan provinces.
In a press conference on Thursday, Inamul Haq Qureshi, the Emergency Operation Centre’s Balochistan coordinator, announced a five-day nationwide vaccination campaign starting September 9. This campaign will cover 36 districts in Balochistan and will be mirrored by a simultaneous effort in Afghanistan.
Qureshi noted that the increase in Balochistan cases is due to population movement, vaccine refusal by some parents, and nutritional deficiencies leading to weakened immunity in children. He also highlighted issues with fake vaccination records, with 534 out of over 4,000 suspected workers involved in the forgery. An investigation led to the dismissal of 74 workers.
Balochistan had been on track to be declared polio-free after 28 months without reported cases, but a recent case in February and ongoing concerns from sewage water samples indicating virus presence have raised alarms. The recent polio-related deaths of three children from Qila Saifullah, Quetta, and Kharan underscore the urgency of the situation.
Qureshi stressed that incomplete vaccination coverage and mobility in border areas hinder polio eradication efforts. A comprehensive strategy is being implemented, with media and parental cooperation sought to safeguard children from the disease. He also mentioned a case in Qila Abdullah involving a child who contracted the virus after migrating from Karachi.
