Pakistan’s poliovirus toll for the current year rose to 67 after two more children were diagnosed with the crippling disease on Thursday.
Of the two new cases reported, one was recorded in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the number of cases this year in the province to 19.
While the other case was reported from Sindh’s Kashmore district, taking the provincial tally to 19.
Balochistan has reported the most cases (27) in 2024, with Islamabad and Punjab each reporting one child with the crippling disease.
Pakistan is one of two polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of annual cases had decreased significantly in the country, until the recent rise in cases.
Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Program explains that polio is a “crippling” disease that has “no cure” and that “completion of routine vaccination for all children under five years of age” only provides them with “high immunity.” against this terrible disease.”
The country has launched multiple vaccination campaigns, including one that began last week and aims to vaccinate some 44 million children nationwide.
According to the Prime Minister’s focal person for polio eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, around 400,000 anti-polio workers in 143 districts of the country will visit every home to administer anti-polio drops to children under five years of age.
However, the country’s rigorous efforts to eradicate polio face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation and parental refusal hamper vaccination campaigns.
Given that more than 60% of children affected by polio in 2024 had not received routine immunization, health authorities established a high-level committee to improve coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Program Expanded Immunization (EPI).
