“National emergency action plan” launched to combat polio

ISLAMABAD: In response to the alarming rise in cases of polio across the country, the federal government launched the “National Emergency Action Plan for Polio 2024-2025”.

The initiative is aimed at eliminating the crippling disease across the  country.

Read more: Fake vaccinations uncovered in Balochistan amid resurgence of polio cases

The new initiative prioritises the vaccination of mobile and nomadic populations and improves the coordination efforts with Afghanistan.

An official from the polio programme stated that the current initiative is a ‘proactive’ shift after three years of reactive measure; that it would focus on detecting and responding to the virus rather than staying ahead of it.

The strategy includes targeted interventions to boost routine immunisation in critical region and the ‘red zones’, where the virus is most concentrated.

It will also involve the use of fractional dose inactivated polio vaccines, and the integrated service delivery that addresses water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and nutrition.

The plan would also focus on the importance of media engagement to raise public awareness and encourage parents to take responsibility for their child(ren)’s vaccinations.

The new initiative was reportedly inspired by the “lessons learnt” from the Covid-19 pandemic response.

Pakistan reported a high number of cases this year, with Balochistan reporting 39 cases. The virus also spread to over 60 districts in the country’s largest province.

It was followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad respectively in number of reported cases.

To combat the rising number of cases, a nationwide vaccination campaign is set to run from October 28 till November 3.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwam the campaign will unfold in two phases, starting in four district; additional areas would be targeted in the second phase.

In particular, the campaign will start earlier on October 25 in Mirpukhas district due to Diwali.

The vaccination drive is aimed at reaching 45.4 million children under the age of five. The children would be administered the bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOVP) alongside Vitamin A supplements.

The National Emergency Action Plan for Polio 2024-2025 will align with Afghanistan’s vaccination drives. This will help cover all districts bordering Pakistan, a porous 1,500 kilometre region that has long been self-ruled.

Despite facing significant issues such as low vaccine uptake and violence against vaccination workers, Pakistan is determined to eradicate polio. The virus cripples the victim for life with no known cure.

The Polio Eradication Programme stated that eliminating polio was a “top priority”. It also outlined a comprehensive plan it has in place to end transmission by 2025.

Pakistan is one of only countries left in world where polio is still present. The biggest hurdle to polio eradication is misinformation and distrust of medical workers, especially in Balochistan.

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Poverty and lack of education exacerbates the issue, with many poor, oft-uneducated parents refusing to administer the drops to their vulnerable children.