Pakistan Sees Two Additional Polio Cases
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Islamabad, Dec 27 (NationPress) Pakistan has confirmed two additional polio cases, bringing the total number of cases nationwide this year to 67, as reported by the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Friday.
The two new cases were identified in the northwest district of Tank and the southern district of Kashmore, according to the NIH.
This marks the fourth polio case in Tank and the second case in Kashmore this year.
The data indicates that of the total cases, 27 were from the southwestern province of Balochistan, 19 from the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from the southern province of Sindh, and one each from Punjab province and the capital Islamabad.
The Pakistan Polio Programme conducted extensive mass vaccination campaigns in 2024, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The most recent large-scale vaccination drive took place earlier this month in 143 districts, aiming to immunize over 44 million children under five. The second phase of this campaign is set to commence on December 30.
On December 3, Pakistan had reported three additional polio cases, which brought the total for the year to 59.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH confirmed the presence of the Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) in three children from different regions of the country, according to the NIH.
One case was identified in Dera Ismail Khan, while the other two were confirmed in the southern port city of Karachi and the southern district of Kashmore.
Pakistan has been intensely responding to a resurgence of WPV1 with comprehensive efforts, stated the NIH. Of the confirmed cases, 26 were from Balochistan, 16 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and the capital Islamabad.
The NIH has urged the public to ensure that their children under the age of five receive the oral polio vaccine during every anti-polio campaign.
"The next mass vaccination campaign is scheduled for mid-December, targeting to vaccinate more than 44 million children," the NIH emphasized, urging parents to ensure that all children under five are vaccinated to protect them amid the severe polio outbreak.
