Pakistan’s polio crisis deepens: Fifth case in two months raises alarm as virus resurfaces in Sindh and Punjab, threatening eradication efforts
By our correspondent
KARACHI: The emergence of one more polio case in Sindh, first after five years in Qambar Shahdadkot, has once again highlighted the faltering performance of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Sindh, raising serious concerns about leadership, management, planning, and competence. More closely, the effectiveness of repeated vaccination campaigns and their unintended consequences as most of the non-refusal families have refused to vaccinate their children due to continuous campaign as previous campaign was ended on Feb 09 and the ongoing campaign will end on Saturday if further catchup day would not be announced.
The latest cases, confirmed from district Qambar Shahdadkot in Sindh bring the total number of reported polio cases to five within just the first two months of 2025, as one of the case is also reported from Mandi Bahauddin in Punjab. This worrying surged in infectious disease, coupled with 84 positive environmental samples, signaled a deepening crisis in the country’s polio eradication efforts, particularly in Sindh, where officials appeared more focused on conducting campaign after campaign rather than addressing the root causes of virus spread and vaccine hesitancy.
According to available details, the two infected children—a three-month-old boy from Qambar Shahdadkot and a 100-month-old girl from Mandi Bahauddin—tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1), with their onset recorded in February 2025. Both cases have been classified as “adequate,” with poliovirus successfully isolated from their stool samples, confirming active transmission. The detection of a new case in Qambar Shahdadkot is particularly alarming, as the district had not reported a single polio infection in the past five years.
The persistence of polio in Sindh is not merely a matter of viral transmission; it is a glaring indictment of the province’s mismanaged immunization program, led by an EOC that appears more focused on statistical achievements than genuine disease eradication. The detection of a new polio case in Qambar Shahdadkot after five years does not indicate a failure of vaccination itself but rather exposes the structural deficiencies that have allowed the virus to linger despite repeated campaigns. At the heart of the problem lies poor leadership, misallocation of resources, and a superficial approach to immunization that ignores the socio-political and operational barriers fueling vaccine hesitancy.
Sindh’s polio program has long suffered from a leadership vacuum, with officials preoccupied with administrative maneuvering rather than implementing a strategy that ensures real protection for children. Instead of building trust and reinforcing routine immunization, the Sindh EOC has turned to a numbers-driven approach, pushing for campaign after campaign without addressing the underlying reasons behind refusals. This over-reliance on frequent supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) has not only fatigued communities but has also deepened resistance among parents who feel coerced rather than engaged.
Adding to the crisis is the misdirection of resources. While the polio program demands full-scale commitment, key officials in Sindh have been more invested in seeking personal benefits, especially personal relationship for political leverage rather than prioritizing disease eradication. With a governance style that prioritizes optics over outcomes, leadership has become more concerned with securing exemptions and explaining away failures instead of taking accountability. The result is an immunization system that appears active on paper but remains deeply flawed in the field.
The presence of 84 positive environmental samples across the country further illustrates the scale of the problem. While officials have repeatedly assured the public of their commitment to eradicating the virus, the numbers tell a different story—one of persistent transmission, ineffective strategies, and misplaced priorities. The Sindh EOC’s over-reliance on mass campaigns, without ensuring high-quality immunization coverage and community engagement, has created a cycle where authorities push for short-term numerical success rather than sustainable results.
