The Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Services, Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Barath, on Wednesday, raised concerns over the lack of polio vaccinations given to children across the country this year despite ramping up campaign efforts.

He sounded alarms as he highlighted that 60% of children in this year’s polio cases did not receive any routine immunisation vaccine.

“The severity of the disease in children was also observed due to lack of vaccination,” said Bharath before directing the federal and provincial authorities to take immediate steps in this regard.

“Ensure the provision of vaccines for all diseases including polio to every child,” he said, urging the Federal Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme to form a joint strategy for polio-affected districts.

His remarks came as he addressed the inaugural meeting of the steering committee focused on enhancing the polio vaccination programme for children.

During the meeting, he detailed the current challenges faced by the EPI and the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme in their fight against polio in the country.

Detailing the plans for the upcoming campaign, he revealed that polio workers will identify children deprived of immunisation while EPI vaccinators will be responsible for completing the vaccination course of these children.

Additionally, he reiterated the federal government’s commitment to protect children from infectious diseases, saying that the ministry will use “all resources for this”.

“I am firmly committed to eradicating polio from across the country,” said Bharath. “I and the Federal Health Secretary will monitor all the steps taken.”

His remarks came after National Coordinator for EOC, Capt (retd) Anwar-ul-Haq, announced a nationwide polio vaccination campaign, set to be conducted from December 16 to 22, The News reported. 

The campaign will target 44 million children in 143 districts across Pakistan, excluding certain districts in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir due to logistical constraints.

Pakistan’s fight against polio continues to face hurdles. Despite reducing wild polio cases by 99% since the launch of Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme in 1994, reintroduction of YB3A genetic cluster of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2023 through cross-border transmission has spread the virus to 82 districts. 

Absence of routine immunisation among a large cohort of children has created immunity gaps, making these populations vulnerable to virus.

Insecurity in regions like southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan poses a substantial challenge, with disruptions in vaccination campaigns, leaving many children inaccessible or under-immunised. 

Additionally, demands-based refusals in these regions, where communities boycott polio campaigns as leverage for other services, further complicate eradication efforts.

Misconceptions and propaganda against polio vaccines also hinder progress, as some parents refuse to vaccinate their children despite the vaccine’s proven safety and efficacy. 

Since its inception, Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme has achieved remarkable milestones. Wild polio cases have dropped from an estimated 20,000 annually in 1990s to 59 cases so far in 2024.

The number of wild poliovirus genetic clusters has also been significantly reduced — from 11 in 2020 to just one. The YB3A is currently in circulation. The YB3C genetic cluster, which was indigenous to Pakistan, has not been detected since November 2023, indicating its potential eradication.

Anwar-ul-Haq highlighted Pakistan’s poliovirus surveillance system, which is among the largest and most sensitive globally. 

The network includes over 12,000 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) reporting sites and 127 environmental sampling sites in 87 districts. This year alone, some 20,000 AFP samples and over 1,800 environmental samples have been tested, with 29pc of environmental samples testing positive for WPV1.