[ISLAMABAD] Despite gains made to end polio during COVID-19, Pakistan has  recently reported a resurgence of the virus after a gap of fifteen months. The sobering news comes just ahead of the start of the World Health Assembly in Geneva -which will review progress on polio eradication – including a recent polio wildvirus outbreak in Malawi; transmission of vaccine-derived polio elsewhere in Africa; and continuing challenges in war-weary Afghanistan.  

Pakistan has so far reported three wild poliovirus cases in the months of April and May from its western un-settled region of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan and authorities fear more are to appear.

Reacting to the reports, Pakistan’s government officially reaffirmed its commitment to end transmission of the virus – and announced a new vaccine campaign. 

But senior officials attached with the polio program fear that the dream of eradicating the disease from Pakistani soil in the near future has been lost.