Battle of polio

After 54 outbreaks of wild poliovirus 1 (WPV1) in 2015, the number of polio cases began to decline in Pakistan. By the end of December 2018, there were only 12 cases, thanks to the efforts of the National Emergency Surgery Center (NEOC). It was reported from all over Pakistan.

In October 2018, the Prime Minister not only appointed one of the party’s “communication and advocacy experts” as a central figure in the eradication of polio, but also Lana, who is considered a “champion” by international donor agencies. It is alleged that Dr. Muhammad Safdar has resigned.

We wanted the new team to be able to get rid of poliovirus from Pakistan altogether. However, by November 2019, Guardians accused Pakistan of concealing the outbreak of P2 strains of polio, 22 of which were reported domestically, and the number of WPV1 cases surged from 18 in the previous year to 147. ..

Officials involved in Pakistan’s and overseas polio eradication initiatives believe that 2019 has proven to be a disaster for polio eradication efforts in Pakistan. Pakistan succeeded in its final campaign in February 2019, after which the entire technical team of Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative was replaced. The infamous Peshawar drama surfaced in April 2019 when a social media video was created and distributed against the oral polio vaccine. It turned out to be the last straw, and within a few weeks people began refusing to vaccinate their children with polio. By that time, the previous team was restored at NEOC in December 2019, and WPV1 cases surged from 12 in the previous year to 147 in 2019.

2019 was a very disastrous year for polio eradication, and between February and December 2019, 6 million children lost their immunity to poliovirus, becoming a breeding ground for the virus and attacking the weakest. , Paralyzed about 147 people. By the end of 2019, there were millions of children who were not or optimally immune to polio due to inadequate or no substandard routine immunization, with polio vaccination rates of around 50% across Pakistan.

But the misery wasn’t over. The Covid-19 pandemic struck the country as it did in other parts of the world, and all vaccination activities, including visit campaigns and routine immunizations, were suspended throughout the country. The outbreak of Covid-19 was a difficult time for Pakistani people and their children because they had not been vaccinated against most preventable diseases in addition to being vaccinated against oral polio vaccine (OPV).

The NCOC coordinator, who was responsible for the polio eradication initiative in Pakistan, said what should be done to prevent diseases that children can prevent with vaccines containing polio and to prevent polio vaccinated people from getting polio virus infection. I was confused about. Vaccination against diseases that can be prevented with polio and other vaccines. National leadership was told that there was an urgent need to resume vaccination activities, otherwise it would prove to be the worst disaster with Covid-19.

By May 2020, it was revealed that in addition to newborns, approximately 1.3 million Pakistani children had missed one or two vaccines due to the suspension of vaccination activities. And in this context, Pakistan had no choice but to reach out to millions of children to prevent death and paralysis, so in a world where vaccination resumed in the middle of Covid-19. It became the first country.

In July 2020, when strict blockades took place in most Pakistani countries, NEOC-trained polio vaccinated practitioners used new operational methods in the context of Covid to 169 high-risk unions in six districts. Covered the council. The following month, polio eradication campaigns were expanded to 130 districts during the subnational campaign, targeting 32 million children under the age of five, and in September 40 million children were awarded OPV drops during the national campaign. I did.

Currently, officials from the Polio Eradication Initiative are reaching out to 31.7 million children in 128 districts while planning two more national campaigns in November 2020 and January 2021. We hope that the success of these large-scale campaigns will push the virus back into smaller areas. Here, we will use all the tools (routine immunization, basic medical services, nutrition, water, hygiene, etc.) to drive towards zero cases in 2021.

Despite the challenges, Pakistan’s polio eradication initiative prevents children and their parents by visiting all over the country to keep them safe and safe, despite the pandemic. Authorities believe they are on track because they are trained to inoculate. Effective communication strategies and community involvement have reduced parental resistance to polio vaccination by 37%, and parental refusals are now diminishing day by day.

Officials at the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) believe that this year is a year of change and 2021 will be a year of polio interruption in Pakistan, despite 79 WPV1 outbreaks this year. Stated. Vaccinated people are trained to meet the challenges of this era, with more than 275,000 vaccinated people, primarily women, preparing to reach out to millions of children in remote parts of Pakistan. Is done.

Failure is not an option for those involved in Pakistan’s polio eradication initiative. Even Afghanistan’s failure to eradicate polio is not an option for them, as the free movement of people between the two countries creates all the blocks in which the virus circulates.

Poliovirus needs to be eradicated from both Pakistan and Afghanistan at the same time. However, peace and political stability are essential to eradicate polio from the region. The world must help both countries achieve lasting peace and political stability. Otherwise, poliovirus will continue to be exported to other parts of the world.

The writer is an investigative journalist at The News, dealing with health, science, the environment and water issues.

Twitter: @MWaqar_Bhatti