Medical association warns of looming epidemic in Pakistan

The Pakistan Medical Association has raised the alarm over a potential epidemic caused by a massive cohort of zero‑dose children. The body described the situation as a "national public‑health emergency" after identifying 651,000 infants who have never received the first DTP vaccination.

According to the association, the failure to immunise this population undermines herd immunity and creates fertile ground for outbreaks of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. The PMA cites chronic administrative weakness, including patronage appointments and inadequate monitoring of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), as primary culprits.

World Health Organization data places Pakistan among five countries that together house 90 percent of the world's zero‑dose children. While the other four are mired in conflict, Pakistan's inclusion is attributed to policy gaps and lack of political will.

The PMA’s red alert calls for immediate action: modernising the vaccine supply chain, fixing temperature‑control failures, clearing financial arrears, and rewarding frontline health workers with competitive salaries, advanced training and safety measures.

If unchecked, the association cautions that the resurgence of these preventable diseases could lead to a public‑health catastrophe, reversing years of progress in child health across the region.