Three new cases take nationwide polio count to 59: EOC

KARACHI: The National Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has confirmed three new cases of polio in Pakistan, taking the total number of polio cases in the country to 59 this year.

The EOC released the latest number of polio cases across the country on Monday after a case was reported in Tehsil Darazanda of Dera Ismail Khan where a 27-month-old child was diagnosed with the polio virus.

According to the EOC, newly reported cases were detected in Dera Ismail Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kemari district of Karachi and Kashmore.

After the latest case came to light, a total of eight polio cases have been reported in Dera Ismail Khan so far this year. The recently discovered case in Kemari is the third case this year and the first in Kashmore, the EOC noted.

In 2024, Balochistan topped the list with 26 cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 16, Sindh with 15, and Punjab and Islamabad with one case each.

The highly contagious viral disease mainly affects children under the age of five, especially those with weakened immune systems or those with insufficient vaccination.

Health officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of vaccination campaigns to curb the spread of this preventable disease, which remains a major public health challenge in the country.

Pakistan continues its fight as prevention of this deadly disease remains a challenge for the government, especially in areas where there are safety concerns and widespread vaccine reluctance.

Authorities are working on a war footing to tackle these challenges and eradicate the virus. Strategies include reaching missing children, combating vaccine hesitancy, and coordinating health services for vulnerable communities.

Health officials stress that misinformation about vaccines puts many children at risk.

“Vaccines are safe and necessary to protect children from polio. Listening to conspiracy theories is putting children at grave risk,” said an official of the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), urging parents to vaccinate their children. Emphasized.