This year, four children have been affected by poliovirus in Pakistan after another case was discovered. The latest case included a 2-and-a-half-year-old from Shikarpur in Sindh.
Incident Reports
This is the first recorded instance of polio in Sindh this year; previously, three cases were reported in Balochistan, Pakistan.
National Emergency Response
The National Emergency Operations Center initiated a nationwide polio campaign in 66 different districts from June 3 onwards.
Resignation of Polio Program Head
Dr. Shahzad Baig resigned from being in charge of Pakistan’s polio program for personal reasons, he said.
“I resign from the position of National Coordinator for Polio Eradication due to personal reasons.” Dr. Baig explained.
The government decided a few days ago to appoint government officials for the polio program. Dr. Shahzad Asif Baig faced severe criticism in Pakistan regarding the spread of polio.
Current Situation
According to reports, environmental samples confirming poliovirus presence have been collected from 39 districts so far. Additionally, three children have been affected by polio in the country.
Challenges
A recent announcement revealed how the government has been failing to eradicate the polio virus. Positive environmental samples of the poliovirus have consistently been found for more than five months despite intensive work over the last year.
There comes with it a new case of polio in Pakistan, which shows that this sickness cannot be eliminated easily. This indicates that we still need more effort and better strategies against this disease if we want to win.
Recommendation
What has happened lately needs the rededication of government officials and the involvement of communities so that they may succeed in eradicating polio. We must not only vaccinate but also watch closely, run many vaccination programs, and make sure people are aware of these campaigns, or else stop transmission among children who can suffer most from the paralysis caused by it.
Summary
Even after many attempts were made at vaccinating against poliomyelitis in Pakistan, where cases had been dwindling considerably, some parts continued reporting positive tests, suggesting wider range coverage might be essential for complete elimination. All key players should join hands together again, putting all their strengths towards making Pakistan free from Poliovirus forever because failure could lead to a resurgence, which will harm our future generations severely while also pushing back gains made globally against infectious diseases.
