The goal is tantalisingly close. This year has so far seen only one case of wild poliovirus, with a three-year-old boy in KP’s Bannu district falling prey to the crippling disease in March.

By contrast, there were 20 last year, all concentrated in southern KP, where Bannu is also located. Moreover, the lone case of 2023 was reported after a gap of five months.

Pakistan is clearly on the right trajectory, even though it takes three consecutive years of zero cases for a country to be declared polio-free.

However, the national anti-polio campaign must remain proactive against a virus constantly knocking on our doors.

It was reported this week that an environmental sample collected from Peshawar has tested positive for wild poliovirus, the fifth such sample collected from the city this year since January.

The finding is worrisome, for it is an indication of lowered immunity against the disease among children in the area.

According to the authorities, the poliovirus in the sample is genetically linked to that which is in circulation in Afghanistan, the only other polio-endemic country in the world aside from Pakistan.

There is, understandably, considerable international commitment in the drive to eradicate this terrible disease. For, unless its transmission is interrupted in Pakistan and Afghanistan, all nations remain at risk, particularly those with weak public health systems.

At the conclusion of a four-day visit to Pakistan, a high-level delegation from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative said that the next six months were critical to interrupting the transmission of wild poliovirus here.

Cautious optimism was expressed that the goal is achievable. In the vaccination drive next month, health authorities must ensure that every child under five is covered.

Hearteningly, it was recently reported by authorities in KP — where all seven polio-endemic districts in Pakistan are located — that the number of families refusing to have polio drops administered to their children has come down by 35pc.

Involving the local clergy in the effort to promote vaccination — an important measure given the objections stem from faith-based misconceptions — appears to, at last, be bearing fruit.

The legitimate grievances of Lady Health Workers, a vital aspect of polio vaccination campaigns, must also be addressed on a priority basis so that every eligible child is a timely recipient of the precious drops.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2023