Two more children were diagnosed with the disabling disease on Thursday, taking the number of polio cases in Pakistan this year to 67.
One of the two new cases reported was in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 19 this year.
While the second case was reported in Sindh’s Kashmore district, taking the provincial tally to 19.
Balochistan has reported the highest number of cases – 27 – in 2024, while Islamabad and Punjab have one child each suffering from the disabling disease.
Pakistan is one of only two polio-affected countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and until the recent spike in cases, the number of cases in the country had declined significantly on an annual basis.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program explains that polio is a “crippling” disease with “no cure” and that “completion of routine immunization for all children under the age of five” protects them from “this dreaded disease.” Provides superior immunity against
The country has launched several vaccination campaigns, including one that began last week, which 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, especially 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