Every year, the government of Pakistan resolves to rid the country of polio. Government leaders and senior officials reiterate their commitment to eradicating the virus. However, the gap between what we want accomplished and what we actually accomplish remains wide.
Those seeing laudable “progress” in Pakistan’s polio programme should look at the latest report by the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee. During a session convened to deliberate upon the international spread of poliovirus at WHO headquarters, the committee expressed grave concern at the significant increase in wild poliovirus cases, particularly in Pakistan (21 cases reported so far this year, compared to 12 in 2018 and eight in 2017). The IHR has proposed a further three-month extension in travel restrictions on the country. What was to be the final stand against polio virus in Pakistan has apparently turned into a losing battle. It is hard today to say which is worse: the fact that transmission of virus has branched out across the country with clusters found all the way from Karachi to Lahore or the state of bliss that allows our authorities to turn a blind eye to its goal hanging tantalisingly within reach and yet not attained. Nigeria and Afghanistan remain the only two countries beyond Pakistan, which have yet to eradicate a disease reminiscent of the 20th century.
Last year, the Independent Monitoring Board on Polio, which works on behalf of international donor agencies and issues reports on the performance of the countries every six months, had pointed to “eradicat(ing) the virus in the sewage because it (virus) could bounce back any time.” Despite international pressure, it took the government about seven months to bring itself to following its recommendations. Instead, it remained engaged in a biter brawl with Afghanistan over who was to blame for transmission of poliovirus.
The fact that poliovirus strain found in sewage in Iran close to the international border with Pakistan shares significant traits with those found in Karachi calls for deep introspection.
Pakistan should have known better than to lower its guard, especially after making such great strides in the years gone by. Looking forward, the country needs to strictly focus on its flaws in its strategy and sinister disinformation campaigns that are causing problems for vaccination workers. The latest example of this was the pandemonium in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in April after malicious rumours were spread of polio vaccine causing harm to children. The authorities were late to react and the damage has been substantial. There is a need to debunk such misplaced notions about vaccine safety. The media should also lend a helping hand in this regard.
The crisis should be seized as an opportunity to reinvigorate the drive and eradicate the disease with greater determination and diligence. Only a united and confident Pakistan can eradicate poliovirus. *