Experts say challenges with vaccination programmes on the ground have led to the ongoing transmission of the wild polio virus, notably in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Islamabad

Efforts to eradicate polio globally have faced significant setbacks, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where persistent transmission of the wild polio virus continues. Experts attribute these challenges to difficulties in reaching high-quality vaccination coverage, security concerns, and inconsistent management of immunization programs.

In Africa, outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio have emerged, with the virus reverting to forms that cause paralysis similar to wild-type polio. A safer vaccine is being introduced across the continent to reduce these risks. Public health officials emphasize that high-quality vaccination programs are essential to prevent vaccine-derived outbreaks, and warn that funding shortfalls could jeopardize progress in polio eradication.

Setback in the global fight against polio with outbreaks of rare virus

For nearly four decades, there's been a global effort to eradicate polio, a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects young children. But experts say challenges with vaccination programs on the ground have led to the ongoing transmission of the wild polio virus, notably in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I think what you're seeing in both Pakistan and Afghanistan is the persistence of polio, despite programs that just haven't reached the kind of quality needed to get rid of it. And there are huge challenges, whether they are security challenges or the lack of any health care or social services in some of the communities that have had it for a long time, or the polio program itself that has gone through some ups and downs and doesn't necessarily have the kind of tight management needed. Most polio cases worldwide are linked to the oral vaccine, which contains a live virus, with public health experts agreeing it should be pulled as soon as possible. In Africa, we have vaccine-derived polio that has really reverted to be more like what we call wild-type polio and is causing the same paralysis that other polio causes. The good news is we have a safer vaccine that is now being rolled out across Africa and has less risk of resulting in vaccine-derived polio. And one thing that's so important to understand is that if vaccination programs are done with high quality, you don't get vaccine-derived polio. It's only when the vaccines aren't well used, when they have such a low coverage, that that can happen. And then if you have a slow response to that, as has happened in Nigeria and other countries, then that new virus becomes entrenched and harder to get rid of. Polio eradication is one of the world's most expensive public health initiatives, and there are fears that funding shortfalls could see a resurgence in some countries.

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Breakdown