Around 39,000 parents had refused oral polio vaccine for their children during the polio vaccination campaign this February, raising concerns over the effectiveness of advocacy efforts in Sindh.
Moreover, 126,553 children were not found at home during the drive, with suspicions that some parents relocated their children to evade the vaccine, it emerged during a meeting of the Provincial Task Force for Eradication of Polio at the Chief Minister House on Saturday.
The escalating refusals, especially in Karachi, reflect a breakdown in communication strategies by the polio eradication initiative. Experts attribute parental hesitancy to doubts about the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing permanent disability.
Expressing his frustration over these issues, CM Syed Murad Ali Shah, who chaired the task force meeting, vowed that no parent would be allowed to refuse administering polio drops to their children. “If you find any refusal case, inform the district administration, and they will take strict action.”
Despite these challenges, the chief executive commended the polio workers for their efforts, and directed the polio teams to revisit the homes where children were missed in February.
Announcing a new week-long national immunisation campaign starting on April 29 (tomorrow) in 25 districts, Shah emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in polio eradication. He urged district administrations, local bodies and the civil society to work together to protect children from the crippling disease.
The meeting was attended by representatives of various departments, including health, education and law enforcement. Officials from Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana participated in the meeting through videoconferencing.
Pakistan is one of the two countries where polio cases persist; the other being Afghanistan. The movement of people within Pakistan and from Afghanistan contributes to the difficulty of eradicating the virus.
The health minister reported two recent polio cases in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti and Chaman districts. Environmental samples from 11 districts in Sindh revealed the presence of the poliovirus in 43 areas. The government will focus on improving sanitation in these areas to limit the spread of the virus.
The health department has successfully vaccinated more than nine million children below the age of five at transit points over the past 15 months. The latest campaign aims to vaccinate another eight million children, with the participation of over 600,000 frontline workers. Security will be provided by law enforcement personnel.