Syed Muhammad Qaseem:
QUETTA: An 11-month-old child from Balochistan’s Killa Abdullah district has been diagnosed with polio, bringing the total number of polio cases in Pakistan to 13 this year. The anti-polio laboratory reported that the child showed symptoms of disability on July 17. Balochistan Health Minister Sardarzada Faisal Jamali underscored that protecting children from polio is the government’s foremost priority. Efforts are underway to increase vaccination rates throughout the Balochistan province.
“With this new case, the number of polio cases in Balochistan has risen to 10,” stated a senior health official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. The latest case emerged from the Jangal Pir Alizai area of the Killa Abdullah district.
In comparison, the last polio case in Punjab was reported in 2020. A representative from the Regional Polio Eradication Center at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed that the child, who is six years old and from Chakwal district, represents the 12th polio case in Pakistan this year. Prior to this, nine cases were reported in Balochistan and two in Sindh.
The NIH representative noted that the specific cluster of the virus in the latest case has yet to be identified, as genetic sequencing is still ongoing. The recent increase in polio cases signifies a deteriorating situation, with 12 cases reported so far this year compared to six cases last year. However, no polio cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, or Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by the poliovirus, primarily affecting children under the age of five. The virus attacks the nervous system and can result in paralysis or death. Although there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective protection. Each immunization enhances a child’s defense against the virus, and repeated vaccinations have safeguarded millions of children worldwide. Consequently, nearly all countries except Pakistan and Afghanistan have been declared polio-free.
The government’s renewed efforts to bolster vaccination campaigns are crucial to preventing the spread of the virus and protecting children from this debilitating disease.
