Dawood Ahmed:
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported its 43rd case of Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) for 2024, confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health.
The latest case involves a child from Chagai District, Balochistan, marking Chagai’s first polio case this year. So far, Balochistan has recorded 22 cases, Sindh 12, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seven, with one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
As a nationwide polio vaccination campaign runs from October 28 to November 3, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children, concerns over ineffective strategies and repeated campaign failures have reignited. Critics argue that despite substantial funding and resources, anti-polio efforts have stalled due to mismanagement, lack of innovative strategy, and what some call mere “lip service” from those responsible for overseeing polio eradication.
Polio advocates urge parents to cooperate with vaccinators to ensure every child receives two drops of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). With new cases on the rise, voices calling for accountability are growing louder, demanding that officials responsible for Pakistan’s prolonged polio crisis be questioned and held accountable.
Genetic testing of the latest samples is underway as health experts continue to seek solutions to the persistent threat of polio. Meanwhile, an intensive nationwide polio vaccination campaign is underway from October 28 to November 3, aiming to immunize over 45 million children, including 2.6 million in Balochistan alone.
Health officials urge parents to ensure their children receive two drops of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to protect them from the devastating effects of polio.
