Balochistan, Sindh also report polio cases

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s fight against polio faces renewed challenges as three more cases of wild poliovirus were confirmed on Saturday, raising the country’s total tally for 2024 to 21.

Officials confirmed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) reported its first case this year, while Sindh and Balochistan detected two additional cases.

The newly reported cases include a 15-month-old baby boy from Killa Abdullah in Balochistan, a three-year-old boy from Keamari district in Karachi, and a nine-month-old baby girl from Mohmand district in KP. The National Coordinator for the Polio Emergency Operations Centre, Muhammad Anwarul Haq, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “The fact that polio has once again affected children in Karachi, Balochistan and now KP is a stark reminder of the critical importance of vaccination,” he said. Haq warned that too many children are still missing vaccinations during routine immunisation and door-to-door campaigns.

Haq also highlighted the successful conclusion of the September campaign, which reached 33 million children in 115 high-risk districts. Two more large-scale campaigns are planned for October and December to address immunity gaps and reduce the spread of the virus.