- Diagnosis of virus in a one and a half year old child in Qila Abdullah.
- Balochistan has reported the highest number of polio virus cases with 27 cases.
- Sindh emerged as the second most affected province with 18 cases.
Islamabad: After the diagnosis of polio virus in another child this year, the number of people affected by polio virus in Pakistan has increased to 65.
Officials say that a one-and-a-half-year-old child has been infected in Balochistan’s Qila Abdullah district, bringing the number of provincial cases to 27, which is the highest among the provinces.
Pakistan is one of only two polio-affected countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of cases in the country had declined significantly on an annual basis until the recent spike in cases.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program explains that polio is a “crippling” disease with “no cure” and that “the completion of routine immunization for all children under the age of five” will protect them from “this dreaded disease.” Provides superior immunity against
Apart from Balochistan, 18 cases have been reported in Sindh this year, followed by one case each in Islamabad and Punjab.
The country has launched several vaccination campaigns, including one that began last week that aims to vaccinate nearly 44 million children across the country.
According to Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Anti-Polio Ayesha Raza Farooq, about 400,000 polio workers in 143 districts of the country will visit every house to administer polio drops to children under the age of five.
However, the country’s intensive efforts to eradicate polio face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation, and parental refusal hinder vaccination campaigns.
With more than 60% of polio-infected children not routinely immunized in 2024, health officials have called for improved coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). A high-level committee was set up for