Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A new polio case has been confirmed in Tank, a district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising the total number of cases in Pakistan to 69, as stated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Wednesday, according to reports from the Dawn.
This development is particularly alarming as Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the last two countries globally where the polio virus is still endemic, as highlighted by the Dawn.
Polio predominantly affects children under five years old and can result in permanent paralysis in certain instances.
The NIH's statement also noted that the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication has identified the 69th case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) for the year 2024. This latest case was detected on January 7 in Tank, marking it as the fifth case reported in the district this year.
The 69 cases reported thus far in 2024 are distributed across various regions of Pakistan, with Balochistan recording the highest number at 27 cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 21 cases, and Sindh with 19 cases. Additionally, one case each has been reported from Punjab and Islamabad.
According to the Dawn, polio continues to pose a serious health threat in Pakistan, despite international efforts aimed at its eradication. The ongoing presence of the disease can be linked to multiple challenges, including security issues in certain regions, vaccine hesitancy, and the dissemination of misinformation that has obstructed vaccination initiatives. These challenges have significantly hindered progress toward eliminating polio from the nation.
Polio is a serious and potentially life-threatening illness for which there is currently no cure. Health professionals stress the importance of administering multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine to achieve immunity against the virus, especially in children younger than five years old. Adhering to the complete vaccination schedule is vital to prevent additional outbreaks.
In a related update, Afghanistan has reported 25 cases of polio in 2024. Despite ongoing efforts to manage the disease, both nations encounter significant obstacles in their battle against polio, highlighting the pressing necessity for enhanced vaccination initiatives and greater public education.
