Pakistan’s poliovirus tally for the year has surged to 21 after three new cases were reported, highlighting ongoing challenges in the country’s fight against the debilitating disease. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) reported its first case of the year, while the number of affected children in Balochistan rose to 14, and Sindh recorded its fourth case.
The latest cases include a 15-month-old boy in Balochistan’s Killa Abdullah district, a three-year-old boy in Karachi’s Keamari district, and a nine-month-old girl in KP’s Mohmand district. These diagnoses bring the total number of polio cases in Balochistan to 14, making it the most affected province. Sindh’s tally now stands at four, while Punjab, Islamabad, and KP have each reported one case so far.
Poliovirus primarily affects children under the age of five who are malnourished or have weak immunity due to being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated at all for polio and other childhood diseases. The virus invades the nervous system, causing paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination remains the most effective method to protect children from this crippling disease.
Despite rigorous efforts by the Pakistani government to eradicate polio, the country remains one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan. However, the number of cases has significantly decreased over the years due to continuous vaccination campaigns.
On September 8, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a special anti-poliovirus campaign aimed at ensuring the complete eradication of the disease. Under this drive, around 286,000 polio workers are tasked with administering vaccines to approximately 30 million children under the age of five in a door-to-door campaign from September 9 to 15. Last month, the Sindh government also commenced a 10-day immunization drive against the disease.
The spread of the virus is not confined to the three provinces. Islamabad reported its first polio case in 16 years when the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health confirmed the detection of the type 1 (WPV1) variant in a child from Union Council Rural 4 of the federal capital on September 6.
In response to the first poliovirus case in KP, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed the health secretary to immediately suspend the relevant district health officer (DHO) and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) coordinator. Additionally, the chief minister announced that the KP government will provide treatment and support for the polio-affected girl from Mohmand.
The recent surge in polio cases underscores the critical need for continued and enhanced vaccination efforts across Pakistan. The government’s initiatives, combined with international support, aim to eradicate the disease and protect future generations from its devastating effects. Despite the challenges, the commitment to defeating polio remains strong, with the ultimate goal of making Pakistan polio-free.
