ISLAMABAD: A new case of polio has been confirmed in Pakistan, raising the total number of cases in the country to 22 for the year. The National Institute of Health reported that a two-and-a-half-year-old child from the Pishin district in Balochistan has been diagnosed with the virus.
This latest case marks the 15th polio infection reported in Balochistan alone in 2024.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign targeting 115 districts, with the goal of vaccinating 30 million children under the age of five. Approximately 286,000 polio workers were deployed to administer anti-polio drops through door-to-door outreach.
However, a recent terrorist attack on the Zhob-DI Khan National Highway tragically resulted in the deaths of three Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) personnel who were protecting polio workers, highlighting the significant risks faced by those involved in vaccination efforts.
