By Asghar Ali Mubarak
The alarming announcement of two additional polio cases in Sindh, particularly one in Karachi, bringing the annual total to 7, shines a stark light on the shocking incompetence of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Sindh. This latest outbreak underscores a grave failure in public health leadership at a time when vigilance and action are more crucial than ever. The urgent pleas from the Polio Program for parents to ensure their children are repeatedly vaccinated serve as a clarion call, yet it falls on deaf ears amid the chaos and negligence that characterize the EOC’s response. Recent reports from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirm that two children from Karachi East and Sujawal districts have contracted the virus. This is particularly troubling as these are the first reported cases from these areas this year, where environmental samples have already indicated the presence of the poliovirus.
Such findings are harbingers of an impending public health disaster, revealing an alarming circulation of the virus within local communities and posing a dire threat to the health and futures of countless children. The statistics tell a grim story: 15 cases from Balochistan, seven from Sindh, two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. These numbers reflect not just the spread of a preventable disease but also the glaring inadequacies in the management and oversight of the stakeholders of the polio program. The time for complacency has long since passed; it is imperative that the EOC Sindh either steps up to the challenge or steps aside for competent leadership to take charge. Daily Metro Morning previously noted that Karachi is a ticking time bomb, demanding urgent attention. Yet, it appears that Sindh’s polio leadership is more engrossed in trivial matters—summed up succinctly as “Nashistan, Guftan, Barkhastan”—rather than tackling the crisis at hand. The disconnect between leadership and reality is palpable and cannot be ignored any longer.
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, has expressed heartfelt concern over the continued threat posed to Pakistani children by a disease that is entirely preventable. Her emphasis on the critical need for vaccinations is crucial; however, her calls for action ring hollow against the backdrop of the EOC’s ineptitude. It is essential for her to visit Karachi and witness the crisis firsthand. Yet, she must do so without the EOC team accompanying her, as their presence would likely skew her understanding of the situation, focusing only on the areas where polio efforts have been superficially successful. Farooq’s plea to all stakeholders—parents, caretakers, teachers, and community leaders—to acknowledge the urgency of vaccinating every child is commendable but insufficient.
“One child affected by polio means that hundreds of children around them can be silent carriers of the virus. No child anywhere is safe until all children in Pakistan are repeatedly vaccinated for polio,” she stated, underscoring the collective responsibility we share. However, the EOC’s failure to establish trust within communities and execute effective vaccination campaigns remains a formidable obstacle to achieving this goal. The Pakistan Polio Program has developed a strategic roadmap aimed at controlling the virus’s spread and interrupting its transmission by mid-2025. Yet, the ongoing increase in polio cases raises serious doubts about the effectiveness of EOC Sindh’s management. Despite reaching 33 million children under five during a recent mass vaccination campaign across 115 districts, the emergence of poliovirus in Karachi and Sujawal reveals a glaring gap in execution.
This indicates a profound lack of community engagement—an area where the EOC has repeatedly fallen short. A second mass vaccination campaign is set to commence on October 28, but if the EOC does not confront its shortcomings and work more effectively with local communities, these efforts will likely yield little improvement. Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Center for Polio Eradication, has rightly called for a united front against polio. However, this unity must begin with holding the EOC Sindh accountable for its failings and ensuring that tangible, measurable progress is made in safeguarding our children. The ongoing polio outbreak is a betrayal of our children’s future and a testament to the EOC Sindh’s failure to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. It is high time for the EOC to reflect on its performance, rectify its approach, and commit to real change—before it is too late. The health and wellbeing of our children depend on it.
