Analysis
On January 22, Pakistan confirmed its first polio case of 2025 in Dera Ismail Khan. Half of the cases recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last year were in the DI Khan district. News coverage of the case highlights the country’s failure to eliminate polio “despite spending billions of dollars” to do so. Many social media users responded to the news by accusing the government of profiting from polio, claiming that the disease will never be eliminated as long as the country receives polio funding. Some posts list polio eradication alongside government corruption and terrorism as threats to Pakistan. Others claim Pakistanis are being targeted for experimentation and extinction.
Recommendations
Concerns that polio eradication efforts are profit driven or have sinister motives are pervasive across cultures. Prebunking messaging may explain that the goal of immunization programs is not to profit but to protect children against debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Every dollar spent on vaccines results in lives and money saved. Talking points may emphasize that doctors recommend vaccines because they want to keep children and communities safe. Continuing to partner with local messengers is recommended, as is emphasizing that local vaccination programs are managed by local ministry of health offices and staffed by local workers without Western interference.