By Fakhar-e-Alam
PESHAWAR: Every evening, as the sun sets behind the Cherat hills near Mohib Banda in Nowshera, 70-year-old Jamshed Ali pushes his younger son wheelchair to the edge of a dusty football ground to entertain him.
As children laugh and run around his wheelchair, chasing the ball with carefree joy, but Abid Ali, once just like them, can only watch with arms outstretched, spirit unbroken and legs unmoving. “At just two years old, Abid’s life changed forever sadned all of us. What began as a fever and limb pain quickly escalated into paralysis. Doctors told us it was polio and my son both legs are not working,” Jamshed recalled as his voice shaking with emotion and regret. “We did not vaccinate him. We believed the rumors against polio vaccine and endless guilt continued even today.” Now, a decade later, the pain still lingers not just in Abid’s legs, but in his father’s heart. “When he tries to join the game and falls from his wheelchair, it breaks me. I carry this guilt every day.”
Abid’s story is a haunting reminder of the devastation polio can cause and the cost of misinformation and negative propaganda against polio vaccine. His case is far from unique in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where polio continues to cripple children despite decades of eradication efforts.
The latest case has been reported in Torghar district, where a 12-month-old boy from Union Council Ghari tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), according to the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) KP.
This marks the 30th polio case in Pakistan this year, with 19 from KP alone that is a staggering figure that underscores the urgent need for intensified action by the Government of Sohail Afridi.
Health officials and campaigners are urging Chief Minister of KP to take a stronger lead in polio eradication efforts, especially as the virus continues to circulate in high-risk areas.
Dr. Malik Riaz, head of the children’s department at Government Pabbi Hospital, issued a stark warning and, “Polio is highly contagious and irreversible. It can strike silently and destroy a child’s life within days.” He stresses that the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is not only safe but vital. “Every year, vaccines prevent up to three million deaths globally. Imagine how many Abid’s we could save.”
Despite scientific backing, vaccine refusal remains a major barrier driven by misinformation, fear, and mistrust in less developed and high illiteracy districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa. In Abid’s case, it was community rumors against polio vaccine that cost him his childhood. Jamshed now dedicates his time to raising awareness in his village, hoping no other family repeats their mistake. “Don’t wait until it’s too late. Don’t let your child become like my son.” Polio in Pakistan is not just a local problem rather it’s a global concern. With Afghanistan and Pakistan the only two countries where polio remains endemic, the world watches closely.
In 2024 alone, 73 children were paralyzed by polio, up sharply from six in 2023. This year’s 30 cases signal ongoing transmission, especially in KP and Sindh. Environmental surveillance in September revealed 44 positive sewage samples for poliovirus from across the country. Despite these setbacks, there is hope against polio. The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) continues to run extensive campaigns. Just last week, over 44 million children were vaccinated across Pakistan. In South KP, an additional round is underway from October 20–23, aiming to reach the most vulnerable. Former Health Advisor Ehtesham Ali credits inter-departmental collaboration for progress so far, highlighting projects that are upgrading 35 health centers across Bannu and D.I. Khan to expand immunization access. “Vaccination is more than a campaign rather it’s a movement,” he said. “Community leaders, religious scholars, and parents must unite. This is our collective fight.”
And it is a fight that frontline workers of over 400,000 of them carry forward despite risk. They go door to door, not for themselves, but for the future of every child in Pakistan. Abid’s story may be one of loss, but it also carries a message of hope that the pain of one child can prevent the suffering of many others. “We can still win this fight,” says Jamshed. “But only if every parent understands that one drop can make all the difference.” As the campaign presses on, the question remains that will we act in time? Or will more children, like Abid, pay the price for our inaction?
Edited by Sumayyah Ahmad
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