Three new polio cases brings Pakistan’s total tally to 17

PESHAWAR/KARACHI: Two new polio cases have been confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while one confirmed case has risen from Sindh, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).

The latest reports showed that these new polio cases emerged from North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat and Umerkot. The total number of polio cases in the country during the current year has reached 17.

Before this, the last polio case had also emerged from North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.

The virus has been detected in a 19-month-old boy from Miranshah. This was the eighth polio case emerging from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this year. Now the total count of polio cases from the province has reached 10.

Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can only be prevented with repeated anti-polio vaccination, administered to children until the age of five years. Vaccination remains a challenge for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite repeated anti-polio drives by the government. Geographical, social and security concerns are some of the hurdles in 100 per cent coverage of these campaigns.

Also read: Polio case in North Waziristan brings Pakistan’s total tally to 14