WITH the turn of the new year, Pakistan enters a familiar ritual. Another weeklong, nationwide drive to immunise over 45m children has kicked off. The numbers are impressive: 80,000 workers in Sindh, 35,000 teams in KP, thousands more in Punjab and Balochistan with security deployments to match, including 50,000 police personnel in KP alone. The ritual continues but what of the resolve? If this is to be the year Pakistan finally kicks polio in the teeth, the government must go beyond routine campaigns and confront the weaknesses that allow the virus to survive. There is progress to build upon. The 31 cases recorded in 2025 mark a decline from 74 in 2024. But so long as transmission continues in areas such as North Waziristan and parts of Karachi, the virus remains a national embarrassment, not to mention a global threat.

To defeat the virus, first off vaccination quality must trump vaccination optics. Micro-planning needs to be airtight so that no child is repeatedly missed in urban slums, conflict-affected areas or among migrant populations. Independent monitoring should be strengthened and data made transparent down to union council level. Where refusals persist, engagement must be local and sustained, involving community elders, religious scholars and women health workers who command trust. Heavy-handed tactics may win a day’s numbers but they lose a community’s confidence. Second, sanitation and routine immunisation cannot remain afterthoughts. Poliovirus spreads through poor hygiene and contaminated water. Investment in clean water schemes, sewage systems and broader child immunisation coverage must run parallel to emergency campaigns. Without this, each drive becomes a fire-fighting exercise rather than a long-term solution. Third, and critically, the state must boost security for vaccinators. The deployment of thousands of police officers is necessary, but protection must be smarter and more consistent. Threat assessments should guide route planning; high-risk areas require intelligence-led coordination, not merely static escorts. Attacks on health workers must be investigated swiftly and prosecuted. Those risking their lives to protect children deserve a state that shields them. Polio eradication is not a technical impossibility. It is a test of governance. If 2026 is to mark the beginning of the end, Pakistan must match its campaign scale with political will, community trust and unwavering security. Only then can the virus be driven into history.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2026