LAHORE: The National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of poliovirus in sewage samples collected from Lahore’s Gulshan Ravi Disposal Station.
In response, a targeted immunization campaign will be launched on September 10 in specific areas to vaccinate children under five against the highly contagious virus.
This comes after Pakistan recorded its 16th polio case this year, with a 29-month-old girl in Hyderabad’s Liaquat Colony diagnosed with the virus.
The case highlights the ongoing challenge of polio eradication in the country, with 11 cases reported in Balochistan and three in Sindh. Health officials are investigating the child’s vaccination history and addressing malnutrition, which is a contributing factor.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication reports that poliovirus has been detected in 62 districts, affecting 16 children so far this year.
