• 44m kids to be vaccinated during weeklong campaign
• Balochistan reports 41pc of 63 cases across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Mini­ster Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched the last anti-polio campaign of the year to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the country amidst an uptick in cases.

The last anti-polio campaign of 2024 is set to begin on Monday in 143 districts of the country, focusing on addressing the alarming rise in polio cases and ensuring maximum immunisation coverage, acco­rding to a Dawn.com report.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic, with the disease mostly affecting children under five, and sometimes causing lifelong paralysis. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

Speaking at the launch ceremony of the anti-polio drive in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz said, “We will win this war (against polio) despite the difficulties faced in the past, polio cases increased and approximately 60 cases in Pakistan have come forward which is a great challenge and matter of great concern.”

The prime minister personally administered polio drops to children at the ceremony.

PM Shehbaz also appealed to parents across the country, saying, “I would like to respectfully request the parents to help us in this campaign and by giving polio drops to their children to safeguard their future.

“I would like to acknowledge with a deep sense of gratitude the efforts of our international partners, Bill Gates Foundation, World Health Organisation and the Government of Saudi Arabia,” the prime minister added.

The development comes as the tally of polio cases nationwide rose to 63. The virus has been detected in eight more districts, bringing the affected districts to 83 this year.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, in a pre-recorded message, said the “last anti-polio campaign of the year 2024 is being launched from December 16.”

An accompanying statement from the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said that the campaign would continue “in 143 specific districts of the country from Dec 16 to 22.” The statement added that more than 44 million children will be vaccinated against polio in this campaign.

“As a mother, I appeal to you to open your doors to polio workers,” Ms Farooq said in her statement, adding that the polio vaccine is completely safe, effective, and provided free of charge.

She said that for immunisation to protect against polio and other deadly diseases, it was essential to complete the course of vaccinations. She also paid tribute to the frontline polio workers serving in difficult conditions, adding, “our frontline workers are the real heroes in the ongoing struggle against polio.”

41pc cases from Balochistan

Of the 63 cases reported so far this year, 26 cases (41pc) were from Balochistan, 18 from KP, 17 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

However, coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre of Balochistan Inamul Haq anno­unced that a seven-day polio drive will commence across the province on Dec 17. This campaign has been launched in response to recent polio cases reported in the province and the detection of the virus in environmental samples.

During the campaign, over 2.66m children in Balochistan will be administered polio drops to safeguard them against the disease. He emphasised that all preparations for the campaign had already been completed. He urged parents to cooperate with polio teams and ensure their children receive the vaccine, warning that failure to vaccinate could result in life-long disability for children.

He appealed to parents not to jeopardise their children’s futures and to vaccinate all children under the age of five. If any child misses the polio drops, parents are advised to immediately contact the district administration.

The EOC coordinator also called on civil society, teachers, and religious scholars to play an active role in supporting the campaign. He pointed out that 26 polio cases — the highest among all provinces in Pakistan for 2024 — have been reported from areas, including Chaman, Dera Bugti, Qila Abdu­llah, Quetta, Jhal Magsi, Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Pishin, Loralai, Nushki, Chagai, Kharan, and Jafarabad.

Despite challenging weather conditions, polio workers have fulfilled their national duty with dedication, he added. Efforts were also being made to strengthen the routine immunisation system on solid grounds.

Nearly 11,600 teams would participate in the province-wide campaign, including 9,326 mobile teams, 904 fixed-site teams, and 593 transit points to ensure maximum coverage, he added.

Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2024