ISLAMABAD: Islamabad has reported its first polio case after absence of 16 years, bringing the total number of polio cases in the South Asian country to 17 to this year.
Health authorities confirmed this troubling development, saying that the new case was detected in Union Council Number 4 of Islamabad.
Ayesha Raza Farooq, a health official, confirmed the case and expressed concern about the virus’s reemergence in the capital after over a decade of absence.
Anwar-ul-Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center, stressed the urgency of the situation, stating, “We are intensifying efforts to vaccinate every child against polio,” and reaffirmed the government’s renewed commitment to eradicating the virus.
Despite global efforts that have largely eradicated polio, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the last two countries where the virus has not been completely eliminated. Last month a polio case was also reported in Gaza Strip where Israel has imposed a war since October 7 last year. After the polio case confirmation, Israeli and Hamas agreed to three weeks separate truce to facilitate UN lead anti-polio drive in the Gaza.
The recent discovery follows the detection of wild poliovirus traces in sewage samples from 84 districts across the country. This marks a significant increase from the 28 districts reported last year.
Of the 17 cases reported this year, 12 were in the southwestern Balochistan province, three in Sindh, and one in the eastern Punjab province.
In response, health authorities are ramping up immunization campaigns to prevent further cases and address the ongoing threat to the nation’s children.
