Posts claim that polio eradication is profit-driven and unnecessary

Polio Pulse

Polio Pulse provides social listening insights to support GPEI’s polio interventions on disinformation, crisis communication, and strategic communication. Data is monitored from polio-endemic and outbreak countries and geographies classified by GPEI, covering 12 major languages spoken in these regions. The platform is managed by the UNICEF Digital Community Engagement (DCE) team.

Analysis

Conspiracy theories about polio eradication efforts circulated online following reports of the detection of additional polio cases in Pakistan in 2024. Several social media users accused the government of lying about polio and refusing to eliminate polio in order to continue receiving international funding, while others questioned why polio eradication is a priority when other diseases kill more people. Some posts disparaged polio vaccines, blamed Afghan refugees and ethnic minorities for polio spread, and claimed polio is a conspiracy against Pakistanis.

Recommendations

Misleading claims and conspiracy theories about the necessity and motivation of polio eradication efforts may lead to distrust of polio workers and vaccine hesitancy. Prebunking messaging may explain the severity of polio, the benefits of vaccination, and the goals of immunization campaigns. Talking points may emphasize that polio can affect anyone who is not vaccinated and that vaccination is the only way to prevent the debilitating disease.