Polio vaccination campaign delayed in nine Punjab districts due to flood disruptions

The anti-polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan is set to resume across the country from September 1, with the exception of nine flood-affected districts. The initiative aims to inoculate more than 28 million children against polio, as part of a nationwide effort to eradicate the highly infectious and incurable disease.

The Deputy Secretary of the Punjab Health Department has been tasked with resuming the anti-polio immunization program in the remaining 89 districts of the Punjab province, once the floods in the affected nine districts subside. The floods have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate, and the evacuation is a result of the floods in Punjab province.

Unfortunately, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is still endemic. Polio can cause lifelong paralysis, making it crucial that repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) are administered to every child under five during each campaign. Timely completion of all routine immunizations is also essential.

The polio program in Pakistan urges the masses to cooperate with vaccinators whenever they visit. "Parents are appealed to make it mandatory for their children below 5 years of age to be given polio drops," the program states.

However, the flood situation in Punjab province has caused the postponement of the anti-polio drive in specific districts, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur. The program in Rawalpindi, Attock, Mianwali, Faisalabad, DG Khan, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan districts of Punjab will be held as per schedule.

Pakistan's polio program has seen significant progress in recent years. Annual polio cases in the country dropped from around 20,000 in the early 1990s to just eight in 2018. However, in 2024, Pakistan saw a sharp resurgence in polio cases with 74 cases recorded. This year, Pakistan has confirmed two new polio cases in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bringing the total number of children affected by the virus this year to 23.

The record monsoon rains and excess water released from upstream India have contributed to the swelling of rivers in Pakistan, including Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej. The floods have posed a significant challenge to the anti-polio campaign, but efforts are being made to resume the program as soon as possible.

The fight against polio continues in Pakistan, and the cooperation of the public is crucial in ensuring the success of the anti-polio campaign. The program urges everyone to work together to protect the future of Pakistan's children and eradicate polio once and for all.