Pakistan remains one of only two countries with endemic polio as vaccination gaps persist: Report

New Delhi, Sep 13 : Pakistan continues to face a major challenge in its efforts to eradicate polio, remaining one of only two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where wild poliovirus transmission remains endemic, as gaps in vaccination coverage and community resistance continue to put children at risk, a report has said.

Despite repeated nationwide vaccination campaigns and government claims of high immunisation coverage, nearly one million children were missed during a single campaign, while more than 53,000 families reportedly refused to allow their children to receive polio drops, according to The Express Tribune report.

Health officials and government functionaries have claimed that around 98 per cent of citizens are fully vaccinated. However, estimates of routine immunisation coverage have put the figure as low as 60 per cent, highlighting a significant gap between official claims and vaccination coverage on the ground.

The continued detection of poliovirus in sewage samples from different parts of the country has further raised concerns, indicating that the virus remains in circulation and that transmission has not been interrupted.

Pakistan's struggle with polio has been particularly severe in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where vaccination teams have faced militant attacks, community resistance and difficulties in reaching vulnerable populations. Nearly 100 people have reportedly been killed in attacks targeting polio vaccinators since 2012.

Security challenges, poverty and vaccine hesitancy have complicated eradication efforts, but the persistence of polio has also raised questions over the effectiveness of government programmes, community engagement and accountability mechanisms.

While other countries have managed to interrupt polio transmission despite facing conflict, poverty and public resistance to vaccines, Pakistan continues to struggle with missed children and refusals. The lack of trust among sections of the population remains a major obstacle to achieving comprehensive immunisation.

The continued circulation of wild poliovirus also threatens children who have not received adequate doses of the vaccine. Low routine immunisation coverage leaves communities vulnerable to outbreaks and makes it difficult to achieve the population-level protection required to stop transmission.

The situation has prompted growing criticism of the government's approach to polio eradication, with concerns that repeated directives, task forces and externally supported programmes have not been matched by sufficient accountability for outcomes.