Third polio case of 2024 surfaced in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The third polio case of the year has been reported from Balochistan’s Killa Abdullah district, where a 12-year-old girl was found infected with Wild Polio Virus 1 (WPV1), here on Saturday.

According to the National Institutes of Health’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio, WPV1 was detected in the stool samples of a 144-month-old child in Killa Abdullah’s Druzai Union Council who showed symptoms of paralysis on April 20. Virus isolation continues.

Officials said that this is the third case of polio in Pakistan in 2024, as earlier, two cases of polio were also reported from different districts of Balochistan.

“It is incredibly sad that one more child has contracted polio this year in Balochistan,” said Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator of National Health Services, adding that polio is a terrible disease that cannot be eradicated. Not only does it change the life of the child, but also the whole family.

“The government is bringing the polio vaccine to the doorsteps of the citizens in multiple rounds of polio vaccinations. I urge families to understand the risk of the disease to children and ensure that they protect their children below the age of five. Administer polio drops to all children of age when polio workers visit their homes.

Dr. Shahzad Baig, coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, said that a detailed investigation of the case would be launched immediately to identify the origin of the virus and identify populations that were left out of vaccinations. and corrective measures should be taken to prevent its spread.

Read More: Second Polio Case Reported in Pakistan 2024

“We have already conducted four polio vaccination campaigns this year, including two nationwide campaigns to boost immunity among children, and we will be conducting another campaign in June,” he added.

This is the third case of polio from Balochistan this year, and the first case has been reported from Killa Abdullah after three years.

Last year, six cases of polio were reported in the country, out of which four were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and two from Karachi.