Polio and Pakistan

Polio Virus in Pakistan

One of the most widespread myths about the polio vaccine is that it causes infertility, despite Pakistan’s population growth rate being the highest in South Asia. Countries like India, Bangladesh, and China have significantly lower growth rates, and while Bangladesh once had a larger population than Pakistan, Pakistan has since surpassed it. It’s ironic that even those with large families believe these rumors—where do they think all these children are coming from? Areas most affected by these false beliefs include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and major cities like Karachi.

The polio virus attacks the human body by first replicating itself in the intestines, after which it travels through the bloodstream to the brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis, weakened bones, and often lifelong disability. Polio has been affecting humans for millennia, but it wasn’t until the 1900s that the wild polio virus became particularly virulent, spreading as a pandemic. In the 1950s, Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin developed vaccines that successfully combated this crippling virus and nearly eradicated it from the globe.

In 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a worldwide campaign across 125 countries, which led to a 99% reduction in polio cases. In 1988, there were approximately 350,000 cases, which dropped to just 223 cases by 2012.

Pakistan started its polio eradication campaign in 1994 when the country had over 30,000 cases. By 2004, this number had dropped to around 30. However, due to disruptions in polio campaigns in conflict-affected regions, cases surged past 300.

Today, Pakistan is the only country where vaccination efforts are sometimes enforced at gunpoint to protect people’s health.

 

Along with Afghanistan, Pakistan is now one of only two countries where polio remains endemic. The primary reason? Unfounded rumors and misinformation.