Karachi polio workers face abuse and refusals during vaccination campaign

Polio vaccination workers in Karachi, Pakistan, are encountering significant resistance, including verbal abuse and threats, while attempting to reach children who missed previous vaccination rounds. Community mobilizers report that some residents refuse to listen to explanations, while others respond with hostility; in one instance, a worker faced threatening voice messages after successfully persuading a mother to vaccinate her child.

These challenges occur during a week-long national campaign targeting over 31 million children under five across 115 high-risk districts, including all 30 districts of Sindh province. Data from the Sindh polio programme indicated that more than 146,000 children were missed during Karachi’s July campaign, with approximately 33,918 recorded as refusals and 112,300 listed as unavailable due to migration or being away from home.

To combat misinformation and mistrust, teams utilize educational materials such as laboratory reports, religious edicts, and awareness videos. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is endemic. While Pakistan has reported four cases this year—a decrease from 31 in 2025—health authorities warn that gaps in vaccination coverage continue to leave children at risk.