Polio, 69 cases recorded in Pakistan in 2024

In 2024, Pakistan reported 69 cases of ‘wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)’, as confirmed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), marking the 69th case in a 13-month-old girl from the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The majority of these cases have been reported from the provinces of Balochistan (27), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (21), Sindh (19), and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. According to local officials, Pakistan has reported more than 20,000 cases a year. Despite the administration of over 300 million doses of oral vaccines annually and the allocation of substantial financial resources to healthcare, the disease remains prevalent throughout the country. It is important to note that Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is endemic, as security challenges for health workers in these areas have hampered vaccination efforts. The government-run National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) is responsible for the organisation of polio eradication vaccination campaigns, which are conducted through a door-to-door service that immunises children under the age of five. However, health workers have been targeted by the Taliban, resulting in the loss of 112 lives and injuries to more than 300 since 2012. The most recent casualties included 16 police officers, three vaccination workers, and one civilian.