Pakistan has reported 56th poliovirus case of the year, the latest case was registered in DI Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province where a boy was detected poliovirus affected, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (PPEP) said.
According to PPEP, on March 14 first poliovirus case was reported from District Dera Bugti of Balochistan while the latest Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) case has been reported in DI Khan District of KPK taking the provincial tally to 15 cases during 2024. In August 2024, Pakistan has reported seven poliovirus cases.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has notified the 56th polio case of the year from DI Khan District which is the one of the seven polio endemic districts of southern KP.
According to PPEP, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH has confirmed the detection of the 56th WPV1 case in Pakistan.
According to official data, poliovirus positive cases this year has seen an increase of more than nine times as in 2023 Pakistan reported just six poliovirus cases while this year so far the country has reported 56 cases.
This is the seventh poliovirus case from DI Khan, where several environmental samples tested positive for WPV1. So far, 26 cases have been reported from Balochistan province, 15 from KPK, 12 from Sindh province, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Genetic sequencing of the sample collected from the child is under way. WPV1 has been detected in 76 districts, indicating widespread circulation of the virus and a continued serious risk to children’s well-being from a disease that can paralyse them for life.
Balochistan is the most-affected province this year. Campaign implementation faced challenges in this region in previous months due to localised protests and pockets of insecurity. This high number of cases is indicative of the harm that children suffer from missed vaccination opportunities. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five are essential to keep them protected.
There is no cure for polio, only prevention. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five are essential to provide children high immunity against this devastating disease.
The Pakistan Polio Programme conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the oral polio vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Programme on Immunisation provides vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities near you. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected and help make Pakistan polio-free.
This year 26 out of 56 poliovirus are detected in Balochistan, 15 in KPK province, one WPV1 in Punjab while 12 poliovirus case was reported Sindh province where most of the cases have been reported in September and October. In KPK and Balochistan provinces, most poliovirus cases are reported in regions bordering Afghanistan.
According to official data, in 2019 Pakistan reported a total 147 poliovirus cases across 43 districts of the country, of which, 93 cases in 14 districts of KPK, 30 cases in 18 districts of Sindh, 12 cases in six districts of Balochistan, and 12 cases in five districts of Punjab.
In 2020, Pakistan reported a total of 84 poliovirus cases, of which, 26 in Balochistan, 22 in KPK, 22 in Sindh and 14 in Punjab.
In 2021, only one poliovirus case was reported in District Qilla Abdullah of Balochistan province. In 2022, Pakistan reported a total poliovirus cases all in KPK province.
In 2023, total six poliovirus cases were traced, of which, four in KPK and two in Karachi – the provincial capital of Sindh.
Polio has been eliminated in developed nations since long but persists in parts of India, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Gaza Palestine and Pakistan. India which last reported a poliovirus case in 2011 and in 2014 was declared polio-free country recently has reported a poliovirus case in northeastern state of Meghalaya.