DERA BUGTI : Pakistan has reported its first case of polio in 2024, with a two-and-a-half-year-old child from Balochistan’s Dera Bugti being diagnosed with the virus. The child, from Union Council No. 3 UC of Sui, Dera Bugti, tested positive for the poliovirus, genetically linked to Quetta, after samples were collected on February 22 and tested at the National Institute of Health.<\/p>\n
Despite receiving polio vaccinations seven times during routine immunization campaigns, the child contracted the virus. This year, 46 sewage samples across the country tested positive for the poliovirus, prompting a special polio campaign in nine districts of Balochistan, starting March 24.<\/p>\n
In 2023, Pakistan reported six polio cases. To combat the spread of the virus, a week-long nationwide anti-polio drive commenced on February 26, aiming to administer vaccine drops to over 45.8 million children under the age of five. Polio workers conducted door-to-door visits, providing children with polio drops and Vitamin A supplements to enhance immunity.<\/p>\n