The History and Current Killings of Polio Vaccinators in Pakistan: A Need for Targeted Surveillance Strategy

Abstract

Poliomyelitis has been eliminated from all countries of the world except Pakistan and Afghanistan. One of the major reasons is the stigmas associated with the polio vaccine that has been repetitively discussed in literature, and governments of both the countries are already making serious efforts to control this public health challenge, but till this moment, the state officials have not introduced any surveillance strategy for the security of polio workers in National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) for Polio Eradication. This report highlights the issue of targeted killing and terrorism attacks on polio vaccinators in Pakistan and also devises a surveillance strategy to provide security to polio workers at immediate possible because the current chaos in Afghanistan will ultimately lead to more terrorist attacks on polio vaccinators.

Building confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine in a polio-endemic country: strategic communication lessons from Pakistan

“…Pakistan, still a polio-endemic country, has a history of vaccine hesitancy, rooted in the decades-old fight against terrorism 22 23. As several studies indicate, the challenges heightened in the aftermath of a fake immunisation campaign in 2011, an incident followed by consistent killing of vaccine workers 23 24. For the COVID-19 vaccine, the country also had to struggle for adequate doses—a factor that could cut people’s enthusiasm.…”

Re‐emergence of polio in Pakistan: Can the nation achieve the WPV1 eradication goal?

“…Additionally, low efficacy and growing resistance against OPV has contributed to vaccine hesitancy, leading to disproportionate suspicion for polio health workers who are targeted with violence and assaults. Illiteracy, rumors, false religious beliefs, and the distorted law and order situation have led to numerous attacks on polio vaccinators and the security personnels accompanying polio teams causing the death of over more 200 polio workers since 2012 9 . Most number of attacks on polio teams were reported in Quetta, Karachi and different areas of KPK especially those located near Pak‐Afghan border, an endemic area for poliovirus, thereby making it a grave concern.…”

Persistence and resurgence of wild polio virus in sewage samples in Pakistan, challenges, and the way forward: A letter to the Editor

“…The existence of the virus in any area poses significant threats to the health of children and places substantial burdens on the healthcare system and economy of the country. Pakistan faces significant challenges in eradicating the polio virus, with several social factors exacerbating the situation [ 4 ]. Detection of WPV1 in an environmental sample from Karachi has given rise to a new polio hotspot in Pakistan besides the already inflicted districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.…”

“…Tragically, more than 200 dedicated polio team workers have lost their lives while tirelessly working on polio campaigns. This alarming loss of life highlights the urgent need for increased security measures and enhanced efforts to combat false beliefs and raise awareness about the importance of polio vaccination [ 4 ]. Polio eradication campaigns in the region have been unsuccessful also because of uneven geographical distributions of populations with Karachi and Lahore being densely populated have posed significant risks of Oro-fecal transmission and eventual vast spread of the virus.…”