Pakistan's battle with polio eradication: Infant succumbs in Balochistan, total cases rise to 14 this year

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 11 (ANI): Pakistan continues to grapple with cases of polio with the country along with neighbouring Afghanistan being the only two countries in the world where the poliovirus is still an endemic.
On August 10, the 14th polio case of the year was reported from Qilla Saifullah district of Balochistan boosting the number of poliovirus cases in the country to 13 for the year 2024. The country has reported three more cases- two in Balochistan and one in Punjab province.
Since 2015, Pakistan has reported a total of 362 polio cases, as per a report in Al Jazeera.
However, despite administering more than 300 million doses of oral vaccine annually with the help of at least 350,000 vaccinators and an expenditure of over USD 9.3 bn from 2013 to 2023, the country has been unable to eradicate polio, the Qatar-based publication said.
The highly infectious Polio disease has no or mild symptoms and can cause paralysis of the limbs. Polio is transmitted through contaminated water or food, or contact with an infected person. Treatment includes bed rest, pain relievers, rehabilitation and portable ventilators.
Dr Hamid Jafari, WHO's regional director of polio eradication was cited by Al-Jazeera as saying that the challenge exists in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. "This is where there's a lot of militancy, insecurity and community hostility and frustration towards the government because of conflict and a lack of services," Jafari said.
Over 50 districts across Pakistan are detecting the virus, he said.
Compounding to the challenges is the fact, says the WHO official that not only is the polio programme being targeted but also security personnel that are guarding the teams "because they become soft targets when they are in the community."
At least 102 polio field workers, officials and security personnel have been killed, including at least six in campaigns carried out this year, the Al Jazeera report cited.
Meanwhile, the latest victim is an 11-month-old infant from Qila, in Balochistan who has succumbed to paralysis caused by the wild poliovirus.
The child from Qila who displayed symptoms of paralysis on July 17, is among the five cases detected in the district. Other cases in Balochistan have been reported in Chaman, Quetta, Zhob, Dera Bugti, and Jhal Magsi as per a report in the Balochistan Post.
In Balochistan, the situation is compounded by a recent history of inadequate vaccination coverage and persistent misconceptions about the vaccine. Despite numerous vaccination campaigns, efforts have struggled to keep pace with the actual number of infections, the publication stated. (ANI)