Fight against polio

The K-P government's anti-polio campaign, involving 35,000 personnel, needs strong support. The week-long drive, set to begin today, aims to reach 7.3 million children to administer polio drops. The focus, however, remains on merged districts and areas deeply impacted by lawlessness. Paramedics and volunteers must be respected and supported in their work, as their goal is to free society and newborns from the permanent disability caused by the virus. Peers, religious scholars - especially those in mosques - and teachers have a vital role to play by extending their support to immunisation campaigns and not being swayed by illogical assumptions. Pakistan has been deeply engaged in the fight against poliovirus since the 1970s. The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, launched in 1994 with the WHO on board, boasts a sizeable team of 339,521 trained and dedicated frontline workers, making it the largest network of its kind in the world. This new drive comes on the heels of three special campaigns conducted over the past three months in Upper South Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Bannu. It is highly commendable that the provincial government, despite its limited resources, has successfully recruited and deployed 2,400 doctors across 72 remote hospitals to provide free medical coverage, which includes routine immunisation. Yet, it remains a matter of grave concern that despite these utmost efforts and extensive international assistance, Pakistan is one of only two countries, alongside Afghanistan, where the virus remains endemic. In 2026, four polio cases have been reported so far, primarily from the vulnerable districts of K-P. It is deeply worrisome that a section of society still views the vaccine as a conspiracy against their children, remaining trapped in unfounded misconceptions and keeping their wards away from compulsory vaccination. This alarming situation necessitates a complete policy overhaul to ensure healthcare workers can safely reach every child and that immunisation campaigns are free from societal resistance.