Pakistan Launches Nationwide Anti-Polio Campaign

Facts

• On Sunday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally announced the nation's first nationwide anti-polio campaign. The campaign was slated to begin on Monday and target more than 44M children under the age of five for vaccination against the debilitating illness.
• The announcement comes following a surge in infections throughout 2022 that paralyzed 20 children. No new infections have been reported thus far in 2023.
• Over five days, the campaign will dedicate more than 360K health employees to inoculate the 44.2M children that reside across 156 districts. The children will also be provided vitamin supplements aimed at reducing infections from other infectious diseases.
• Polio, a viral disease that attacks the nervous system of children, often resulting in paralysis, continues to threaten the well-being of children in both Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan — the last two countries worldwide where this risk occurs.
• PM Sharif credits his government and contributors like Bill Gates and the World Health Organization for their work to eradicate the disease from Pakistan. He also awarded health workers, who have recently come under violent militant attacks, for their ongoing work.
• The campaign was originally set to begin in August 2022, however, catastrophic flooding throughout the country impacted by erratic monsoon rains disrupted the delivery of services.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Voa, and Washington Post.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by CBC. As healthcare workers and community organizers fight to eradicate polio, they must also fight for their lives. More than 50 workers have died at the hands of violent religious extremists, who threaten and kill people due to unmerited conspiracy theories regarding vaccines. Since the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, these conspiracy theories have grown more prominent and dangerous. Extremist violence is a major factor hindering Pakistan's polio eradication efforts.
• Narrative B, as provided by Asia News Network. The government of Pakistan and its contributors recognize that the most vulnerable areas are the areas that are the most difficult to reach due to security, and are doing their best to address this. The people of Pakistan also understand that polio is not the singular concern; other basic services are needed from the government to ensure the well-being of people no matter if they live in rural issues or have migrated. Polio is a consequence of the need for rural development.