Pakistan struggles to contain new polio cases amidst heavy investment

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has allocated and spent almost $1.784 billion on its most expensive polio eradication campaign to date since 2012, and the drive is expected to continue through 2026 under the second and ongoing phase.

Despite these massive allocations, new polio cases continue to be reported in the country. The polio emergency plan, launched in 2012, has completed three phases (2012–2021), while the current phase (2021–2026) is ongoing.

According to the Federal Ministry of National Health Services documents, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the revised PC-1 amount of ($1.784 billion), which includes $798.67 million for the current phase.

The approved PC-1 cost for the previous three phases of polio eradication (2012 to 2021) was $986.29 million. For these phases, the government secured $1,012.66 million, out of which $975.16 million was spent.

For the current phase (2022–2026), the government is contributing $155 million, while international aid organisations and donors are providing additional funding.

In 2024, $151.87 million was allocated for the campaign, which included a loan of $42.45 million from the Islamic Development Bank and $109.42 million in donor assistance.

In 2024, $3.45 million was allocated for media-related activities as part of the campaign, a significant increase from last year’s $1.38 million.

According to the documents, over 400,000 frontline workers have been deployed for polio eradication efforts across Pakistan, with 10,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 25,000 in Balochistan, 4,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 5,000 in Islamabad, 76,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 200,000 in Punjab, and 81,000 in Sindh.

So far this year, 17 polio cases have been reported nationwide, with the majority from Balochistan.

A total of 12 cases were reported in Balochistan this year, three in Sindh, and one case each in Punjab and Islamabad. No polio cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan this year.