KARACHI: The administration of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Friday announced strict measures against parents refusing polio vaccination for their children, as the country faces a growing surge in cases of the crippling disease.
Last month, the National Institute of Health confirmed two new cases of poliovirus in the province, bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan this year to 29. Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.
Efforts to eradicate the disease have been repeatedly hindered by vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and militant attacks targeting vaccination teams. In some high-risk areas, inoculation workers operate under police escort, yet even security personnel have been attacked and killed while on duty.
“I have no other option but to penalise those who shirk their national responsibility of eradicating polio,” Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told officials at a meeting in Karachi, according to a statement issued by his office. “This responsibility begins at home and affects the entire province and the country.”
Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can lead to lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through multiple doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for every child under the age of five, alongside routine immunisations.
Pakistan reported a sharp rise in cases in 2024, recording 74 infections, compared to six in 2023 and just one in 2021.
According to an official statement, Sindh has reported nine cases so far this year, with many linked to parental refusals, particularly in Karachi and Malir areas. Environmental samples from several Karachi neighbourhoods have also tested positive for poliovirus, indicating continued circulation.
During the September vaccination campaign, more than 216,000 children across the province missed their polio drops, including 35,000 whose parents refused to allow immunisation.
