Pakistan’s polio fight falters — Part 1: The data and the warning signs
As Sindh reports rising virus circulation and positive sewage samples, specialists urge evidence-based reforms, better accountability, and investment in water, sanitation, and primary healthcare (Originally published in Social Track , a weekly from Karachi, this two-part report dives into the persistence of poliovirus in Sindh and across Pakistan — despite years of eradication efforts.) By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: With Pakistan remaining one of only two polio-endemic countries—alongside Afghanistan—the situation in Sindh has raised fresh concern among medical experts and public health observers. Over the 11 months since July 2024, the province has reported 25 new cases of paralytic polio in children and 272 environmental samples testing positive for the virus—an alarming indicator of what experts describe as the “suboptimal performance” of the province’s polio eradication programme. According to official data, Pakistan has recorded 12 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) so ...