Polio Eradication in Pakistan is Possible

Pakistan's Polio Eradication Programme recently stated it is focused on eliminating polio in 2023 by continuing to conduct extensive vaccination programs.

Pakistan launched its first nationwide anti-polio campaign in 2023 to immunize children under the age of five against the crippling disease.

Pakistan has repeatedly come close to eradicating polio, but long-running propaganda in conservative rural areas that the vaccines cause sterility in children has set back the mission, reported VOA in January 2023.

This goal is within reach as only 20 wild poliovirus type 1 cases were reported in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2022.

Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system of children.

For a summary of polio-related activities in Pakistan for the last two weeks, take a look at the latest National Emergency Operations Centre newsletter.

Pakistan is included in the U.S. CDC's Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions polio travel advisory issued in 2023.