The War Against Polio: A Strategic Case Study of Eradication Efforts in Balochistan, Pakistan (2015–2018)

Abstract

The strategic reconfiguration of polio eradication operations in Balochistan, Pakistan from 2015- 2018 is discussed in this rigorous multi-dimensional case study. After a disastrous return of the virus in 2014, I was appointed as a Provincial Coordinator and the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) implemented governance reforms and leadership. The paper discusses how the province battled wild poliovirus (WFP) in the "Quetta Block" - a high-risk viral reservoir - in the face of kinetic security threats, vaccine refusal and cross-border transmission dynamics with Afghanistan. Nomadic populations and frequent border crossings in everyday life allowed for the transfer of the virus in the high-risk areas of Karachi in Balochistan and Kandahar, giving rise to the "Conveyor Belt" phenomena. In response, the provincial government replaced routine health drives with a "National Emergency Action Plan" (NEAP) with "No Tolerance" administrative negligence policy and data-driven micro-planning. This governance step taken replaced "phantom coverage" data by verified indicators, e.g. 4,443 chronic refusal families within the Quetta Block, allowing surgical rather than general interventions. The EOC had a mixed strategy of theological and community involvement to confront vaccine refusals, which represent more than 50% of the reported incidence in 2015. The campaign featured Ulema issuing fatwas declaring that vaccination is Sunnah compliant and very important for prevention of harm. Local female Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) were hired to build trust in conservative Pashtun households. A robust security structure including the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps contributed to keeping the campaign going despite the January 2016 suicide attack on a polio center. The paper outlines the "Conveyor Belt" approach, which involved upgrading the infrastructure at the Friendship Gate (Chaman border) in order to vaccinate hundreds of children every day and coordinated campaign dates with the Afghan health authorities in order to prevent cross-border evasion. Malnourished populations were also safeguarded through technological advances such as the Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) and solar- powered cold chains. This multi-faceted approach has brought down polio infections from 25 in 2014 to 7 in 2015 and refusal cases by 91%, paving a way for conflict zone eradication.