Beyond ethnicity: Experts call for refined strategies to tackle polio in Sindh
By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: As thousands of polio managers and field workers in Sindh prepare to launch another mass OPV plus vitamin-A campaign on October 28, a data study suggests that authorities in Sindh need to reassess and refine their strategies to combat polio, moving beyond the notion that the Pakhtoon migratory population is solely responsible for the spread of the virus in the province. “The situation requires a more nuanced approach, addressing the root causes of the spread effectively, rather than attributing the problem to a specific ethnic group,” experts said. Startling facts and alarming trends have emerged in Sindh's 12 new human polio cases this year, according to experts working on the subject. - Urdu speaking families: Two cases were reported in Urdu speaking families living in Hyderabad's UC 50 and UC 12, with the virus linked to environmental samples (ES) found positive in Hyderabad (May 2024). - Sindhi ethnic children: Four Sindhi children were de...