HYDERABAD: A new case of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) was recently confirmed in Hyderabad’s Pretabad area where an eight-month-old baby girl died after testing positive for the virus.
According to the Sindh Health Department, three children from Union Council 47, Pretabad, were initially suspected of having polio. Their stool samples were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad’s Regional Reference Laboratory for testing.
She was identified as the daughter of a man named Anwar. The infant, who was already suffering from congenital heart disease (VSD) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM), developed symptoms on August 19 and later passed away in hospital.
The confirmation from the NIH raised the total number of polio cases reported from Pakistan this year to 27, which included seven cases from Sindh.
Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Zainul Abideen Memon confirmed the case. He added that another child Abbas Umer, 38-month-old brother of the deceased girl, had also tested positive for the virus. The test results of two of his cousins came negative. Due to better nutrition and a vaccine dose received in September, the virus did not affect Abbas’s health, the DC said.
Following the confirmation of the virus in another child, the district administration launched an emergency response operation in collaboration with health authorities.
The District Health Management Team (DHMT) initiated mop-up vaccination campaigns in UC-47 Pretabad and adjoining areas to prevent further transmission of the virus.
Around 8,000 children have so far been vaccinated with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), while more than 1,500 previously unvaccinated children have been reached in refusal-prone areas since early October.
The district administration has also launched a detailed investigation into the surveillance and immunisation gaps that led to the case.
Officials found major weaknesses in AFP (Acute Flaccid Paralysis) surveillance, with some suspected cases initially missed or untagged, and several lacking proper EPID documentation.
Field monitoring revealed that only 65 per cent of health staff had sufficient knowledge of surveillance procedures, while laboratory indicators such as stool adequacy and timely notification remained below the required 80 per cent benchmark.
Routine immunisation and campaign performance in the area were also found to be poor. Several vaccination records appeared inaccurate or falsified, and cold chain management issues were reported at multiple health facilities.
Faulty temperature charts and unusable OPV vials were discovered during spot checks.
In light of these findings, the DC ordered strict accountability and administrative reshuffling.
Around 75 vaccinators and frontline workers were held responsible for fake coverage between February and September. Micro-plans were revised, cold chain management protocols reviewed, and monitoring strengthened across all union councils.
The Hyderabad district polio response structure now includes 1,556 vaccination teams, each comprising three members, responsible for covering 70 households per day under their micro-plans.
The campaign operates under five administrative tiers, involving frontline workers, area incharges, UCMOs, partner staff (NSTOP, WHO, DEOC), and district-level support staff, including assistant commissioners, mukhtiarkars and law enforcement officials.
To strengthen community engagement, meetings were held in Pretabad on October 8, involving religious leaders, local representatives and social activists to promote vaccine acceptance.
Memon emphasised that the district administration was committed to enhancing surveillance, workforce stability, micro-planning quality and vaccine integrity through strict cold chain management and cross-departmental coordination.
He added that continuous monitoring of zero-dose and missed children in UC-47 and surrounding areas was being prioritised to close the immunity gap and prevent future polio cases.
