LAHORE: The rate of the environment samples testing positive for polio virus has increased by 512 per cent in 2024 compared to the last year (2023).

A report submitted by the health authorities in a high-level meeting held here some days back in Lahore declared that ‘polio remains a major concern in Punjab’.

The data presented in the report shows there were only three districts/cities - Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan - where the environment samples were tested positive for polio virus in 2023.

An official said environmental surveillance is important for ensuring that environment is polio-free.

However, the virus circulation in the environment spread fast from three to 16 districts of Punjab province in 2024, exposing the incompetence of the health and district authorities who were tasked with making the province polio-free.

The data shows the positive polio virus environment samples increased from 11 in 2023 to 68 across Punjab till Dec 29, 2024, showing an unprecedented circulation of the virus.

Of the total 68 samples, 26 tested positive in Lahore alone while 11 in Rawalpindi, making it the second city where the situation is somehow alarming as it was housing high-risk Pakhtun population.

Similarly, he said, seven positive polio virus environment samples were reported in DG Khan, three each in Attock, Bahawalnagar, two each in Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, while others in Mianwali, Gujrat, Chakwal Jhang, Okara, etc.

The official said the health authorities declared the frequent movement of the Pakhtun population from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab as one of the leading factors which contributed a lot in making the environment infectious.He said the persistent virus circulation has posed serious threats to a large proportion of the under five years of age children, particularly, those living with compromised immunity.

The environmental surveillance was used in monitoring virus circulation and assessing the extent or duration of epidemic polio virus circulation in specific populations, the official said.

The official, however, rejected the claims of the health officers saying some districts which reported the positive polio virus samples were located in south Punjab where the chances of mass movement of the Pakhtun populations were rare as compared to those in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

He blamed the inadequate immunisation coverage through routine or supplementary immunisation services as the leading factor behind the [toxic] environment of the 16 districts of Punjab.

During the meeting, the senior health officials showed disappointment over the prevailing situation and admonished the administrations of the relevant districts for not performing well in achieving the desired targets.

They assigned new tasks to the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the district health authorities to deal with the situation and reach out to the target populations for effective surveillance.

For the Punjab government, the official said, 2025 would be a challenging year to save the children from the polio virus.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2024