February 10, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
A polio vaccination team was met with fierce resistance from locals of the Abdul Razzaq Sammu village in Thatta, blaming their frustration over years of other unmet demands for basic amenities, specifically a potable supply of drinkable water.
On February 9, a polio team under the government campaign to eradicate the polio-virus visited the village to administer the vaccines, when they were blocked off near a shrine by a mob of villagers. The protesters had gathered there on the call of community leaders, and they chanted slogans demanding water. They declared they would refuse vaccinations for their children until their demands were met, and forced the polio team to retreat.
The villagers told the media that the local community leaders had appealed several times to the elected representatives of the constituency, as well as the Deputy Commissioner’s office and officials of the Public Health Engineering department for the steady supply of potable water, but their demands have not been fulfilled according to the promises made to them. No practical progress had been made in this regard, with the villagers having to go without drinking water for years now.
“Vaccinations will be rejected until our demand for drinking water is fulfilled,” they announced.
Govt Promises Smooth Water Supply
Sunday’s standoff escalated tensions which prompted police intervention, but the timely arrival of the Makli Town Committee chairman helped ease the situation through negotiations with the protesting villagers.
After these talks failed to sway the villagers, the District Council chairman Hameed Panhwar joined the mediation, ultimately promising to deliver a water supply line to the area ‘as soon as possible’ to resolve the impasse. It was only after this promise made by the chairman that the villagers lifted their boycott, permitting the polio team to administer vaccines to their children.
Speaking to Voicepk with regards to the protest, Panhwar said, “I have personally assured the villagers that I will take immediate action on this matter. I will ensure the water supply is restored to the village, either through my personal efforts or through utilizing council funds.”
He also added that the polio campaign does not usually face such resistance, however he acknowledged the issues that the people were facing.
“The people here face numerous challenges, including the absence of basic infrastructure like roads, hospitals and schools,” he said. “This is why they are resisting the polio vaccination campaign. The government is constrained by limited resources, but we are doing our best to address these issues.”
Panhwar also explained that the villagers, till now, had been relying on a private institution, the Liaquat Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Thatta, which had its own private water supply approved by the Deputy Commissioner. The villagers were allowed to share this water supply, but recently, the university administration refused to provide any more water, citing that they had paid for their own private supply.
Background
Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts tend to face significant setbacks each time the public from any area in the country resists vaccination campaigns, amidst a lingering battle against the poliovirus.
In December, the poliovirus was detected in sewage samples from Sindh’s districts of Mirpurkhas, Thatta and Naushero Feroze. These samples were collected on 23rd and 24th December in 2024 and were tested positive for the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). In the same year over 480 sewage samples also tested positive for the poliovirus.
According to the Pakistan Polio Eradication website, the country reported 73 polio cases nationwide in 2024, with Sindh province accounting for 22 of those cases. The first confirmed polio case of 2025 was reported from Thatta.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho recently addressed the ongoing protests against polio vaccination campaigns in the province, emphasizing that such resistance is uncommon in Sindh. Pechuho, in a statement to Voicepk stated, “Protests of this nature have always been rare in Sindh, and we’ve made concerted efforts to handle them efficiently.” She acknowledged that similar incidents have occurred in the past but were resolved discreetly at the local level.
Pechuho underscored the importance of collaboration with local authorities to resolve these issues. “We work to address these concerns by engaging with the local government and ensuring the provision of basic services, which falls under their mandate,” she explained.
Globally Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries which have still not eradicated the poliovirus. Irrespective of concerted efforts by Pakistan’s health departments, poliovirus persists, affecting numerous children and leaving them paralyzed. This disturbing reality is compounded by protests against polio vaccination campaigns, which underscore the government’s failure to address the basic needs of vulnerable communities. The resistance to vaccination efforts has raised critical questions about the government’s strategy and the measures needed to tackle this entrenched issue.