Polio crisis: Pakistan reports 41st case of the virus

ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication reported yet another case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case.

This brings the total number of polio cases in the country of 240 million to 41.

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The latest case sheds light on the ongoing issues faced by the country and the government in fighting against the debilitating disease, which has no cure.

The confirmed case involves a child from the Loralai district in Balochistan, who showed signs of paralysis on October 8.

To date, the distribution of polio cases in the country in 2024 alone includes 21 cases from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, six from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

The high number of cases in Balochistan is in particular a huge concern, as the province has historically struggled with vaccination coverage and public health resources.

Efforts to eradicate polio has been hindered by several factors, including vaccine misinformation, security issues faced by the vaccination teams, and logistical difficulties in accessing remote regions.