The secret of Pakistan’s COVID-19 success Dec 12,2020 - Last updated at Dec 12,2020 KARACHI — When the novel coronavirus first arrived in Pakistan in late February, there was widespread concern about the country’s ability to manage the increased disease burden. COVID-19 cases were rising quickly as people returned home from other regional hotspots, and the public-health system urgently needed to be reinforced. In this moment of crisis, Pakistan turned to the team working to eradicate polio. Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are now the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic, after Africa was recently declared free of the disease. The Pakistani government works closely with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a partnership including Rotary International; the World Health Organisation (WHO); UNICEF; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to vaccinate children in every corner of the country and track the virus to its remaining redoubts.