Quetta: Health officials in Balochistan have uncovered a concerning trend of fake anti-polio vaccinations in the province, adding to the challenges of combating the resurgence of the disease. Some polio workers and parents who refuse to vaccinate their children have been found colluding to mislead the government about vaccination coverage.
Disciplinary action has been taken against more than 500 polio workers involved in these fake vaccinations, according to health officials. The province has seen a sharp increase in polio cases this year, accounting for 80% of the cases reported across Pakistan.
Balochistan, which had been polio-free for two years, has seen 12 out of the 15 reported polio cases in Pakistan this year. The resurgence has raised serious concerns, especially after the recent deaths of children due to the disease.
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Officials are now working on a new strategy to address the resurgence, with particular focus on the Quetta block, identified as one of the highest-risk areas in the country.
In a recent briefing, various challenges were cited, including parental refusal to vaccinate, security issues, and migration. The compromised quality of polio campaigns in neighboring Afghanistan, where house-to-house vaccinations have been banned since 2018, has also made Balochistan more vulnerable.
The presence of the polio virus was first detected in environmental samples in September 2023, with cases emerging from February this year. The initial transmission of the virus is believed to have occurred from Afghanistan’s Kandahar province to Chaman.
Despite the challenges, health teams are working diligently to combat the disease. However, security concerns remain a significant hurdle, with eight polio workers killed in the last decade.
Inamul Haq, the Coordinator of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Balochistan, emphasized the importance of full immunization coverage to prevent the spread of polio. He also noted the zero-tolerance policy for fake vaccinations, which has led to the dismissal of 74 polio workers and disciplinary action against over 500 personnel.
