- Girl from Balochistan and boy from KP diagnosed with polio.
- The last confirmed cases were diagnosed with wild poliovirus type 1.
- Virus number in KP rises to 3, while Balochistan records 16th case.
The total poliovirus count in Pakistan this year soared to 28 as authorities confirmed two new cases of the disease, which is intensifying.
The two children, including a 36-month-old girl from Zhob district in Balochistan and a seven-month-old girl from Tank in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), were paralyzed by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).
The appearance of the virus in Zhob's child was reported on September 6, while Tank's baby showed symptoms of the virus on September 17.
The virus was previously found in sewage samples from both districts, indicating continued polio transmission and a health risk to children.
With the latest confirmed cases of poliovirus, the count in KP has reached three, while in Balochistan it has increased to 16. Meanwhile, seven cases have been reported so far in Sindh, one in Punjab and one in Islamabad.
Balochistan, with the highest number of confirmed cases this year, has become the epicenter of the polio outbreak.
The latest cases were confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory of the National Institute of Health.
Polio is a highly infectious disease that affects children under five years of age, often due to malnutrition or weak immunity as a result of insufficient or lack of vaccination against polio and other childhood diseases.
This disease, caused by a virus, invades the nervous system causing paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease.
The resurgence of polio in the country presents a significant setback to the country's efforts to eradicate the disease, as officials work to bolster vaccination campaigns and raise public awareness about the importance of immunization.
Pakistan is one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of annual cases has decreased significantly in the country.
The Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, announced that a national anti-polio campaign will be launched from October 28 to combat the resurgence of the disease.
In an appeal to parents, Farooq urged them to ensure that children up to five years of age receive the polio vaccine to effectively eradicate the disease.
He previously highlighted that once a child is paralyzed by polio, the damage is irreversible, but repeated vaccinations can prevent it.
“It is heartbreaking that Pakistani children continue to be threatened by a disease that can be easily prevented with the help of a readily available polio vaccine,” Farooq said.
In addition, he emphasized the urgency of the situation and asked parents, community leaders and teachers to act quickly.
