- That is second polio case reported from Qila Saifullah in 2024.
- Pakistan considered one of solely two polio endemic international locations in world.
- Misinformation about vaccine main impediment in polio eradication.
ISLAMABAD: The variety of kids affected by polio in Pakistan has risen to 46, with the most recent case reported in Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah district.
Authorities confirmed {that a} months-old youngster had been identified with the virus, marking the twenty third polio case in Balochistan this 12 months.
That is the second polio case reported from Qila Saifullah in 2024.
Officers additional report that environmental samples from 76 districts throughout the nation have examined constructive for the virus, underscoring its unfold nationwide.
Pakistan is likely one of the solely two international locations on this planet, alongside Afghanistan, the place polio stays endemic.
Since its launch in 1994, the nation’s polio eradication programme has largely contained the virus by holding frequent vaccination drives. The nation was near utterly wiping out the illness till this 12 months as solely six instances had been reported in 2023.
Nevertheless, the specialists level to misinformation concerning the polio vaccine as a big impediment to eradication efforts.
The southwestern province has emerged as an space of intense polio transmission this 12 months as 23 of the 41 instances within the nation. Aside from Balochistan, Sindh has reported 12 instances, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 9, whereas Punjab and Islamabad have recorded one case every.
Polio is a extremely infectious illness brought on by a virus primarily affecting kids below the age of 5 years, who’re malnourished or have weak immunity due to being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated for polio and different childhood ailments.
The sickness invades the nervous system and causes paralysis and even demise. Whereas there is no such thing as a remedy for polio, vaccination is the simplest approach to shield kids from this crippling illness.
Pakistan’s rigorous efforts in the direction of polio eradication face vital challenges, notably in areas the place insecurity, misinformation, and parental refusals hinder vaccination campaigns.