Balochistan Polio Week Targets Over 2.6 Million Children

• Over 11,000 groups will participate in the vaccination effort.
• More than 2.6 million children will receive polio drops.
• Security arrangements made regarding polio teams.
  

QUETTA: A seven-day polio vaccination drive began today in Balochistan – the province worst hit by the crippling disease with 27 cases in 2024 so far.

Up to 11,600 groups will participate in the vaccination drive, according to the Emergency Center’s vaccination drive with officials saying more than 2.6 million children up to the age of five will be given polio drops.

Additionally, security arrangements have been made along with the polio teams, EOE officials noted.

Balochistan EOC Coordinator Inamul-Haq urged parents, media and citizens to play their role in making the anti-polio campaign a success.

Pakistan is one of two polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of annual cases had declined significantly in the country until the recent surge in cases.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program explains that polio is a “paralyzing” disease with no “cure” and “completion of routine vaccination for all children under the age of five” simply gives them “high immunity against this terrible disease”.

The country has seen an alarming rise in the spread of the polio virus and reported 67 cases of the crippling disease in 2024. Meanwhile, 19 cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh each.

Islamabad and Punjab have reported one child with the crippling disease.

The government has launched multiple vaccination drives as part of its efforts to eradicate the disease from the country. The latest was the nationwide campaign, the last for 2024, earlier this month.

However, the country’s rigorous efforts to eradicate polio face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation and parental refusals hinder vaccination campaigns.

With more than 60% of children infected with polio in 2024 not receiving routine immunization, health authorities have established a high-level committee to improve coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). .