Pakistan’s polio fight falters — Part 2: What must change
(In Part 1, we reported on Sindh’s rising virus circulation and the widening immunity gap flagged by national experts. In this concluding part of the special report originally published in Social Track, leading paediatricians and infectious disease experts offer critical insights into why poliovirus continues to circulate in Sindh — and what must change in routine immunisation, accountability, and public health systems to overcome it.) By Mukhtar Alam Gaps in surveillance and campaign efficacy: Prof Dr Iqbal Ahmed Memon, Chair of the Provincial Expert Review Committee, offered a nuanced view of Sindh’s polio situation, suggesting that high virus detection may reflect “better surveillance sensitivity rather than outright programme failure”. “The increased detection signals active case finding,” he said. “However, immunity gaps persist—likely due to vaccine refusals and the complex dynamics of urban slums.” He added that such discrepancies are not unique to Sindh but indicative of ...