Indus Vitals

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 ...

A forum of experts observing World TB Day last month lamented that Pakistan continues to lack indigenous data on diseases—the data that is critical to influence policy decisions and track progress, particularly in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). TB and other infectious and contagious diseases remain growing concerns, as reported in this newspaper and echoed by specialists who stress that locally generated data is vital for understanding disease epidemiology, trends, and overall burden. There is no doubt that reliable data empowers policymakers, healthcare professionals, and communities alike to take informed decisions regarding disease strategies, resource allocation, and programme implementation. It is nonetheless commendable that medical experts, despite systemic hurdles, have consistently sounded the alarm on the nation’s infectious disease burden. Relying on their own field studies and, often, on overwhelming internationally disseminated estimates, they have kept the spotlig...