ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported three polio cases from three different provinces in a single day, bringing the total number for the year to 21.
Out of the three, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded its first case of the year, while the new case in Balochistan increased its total to 14.
According to the regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, the new cases were reported from Killa Abdullah district in Balochistan, Keamari district in Sindh, and Mohmand tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the last polio-endemic countries in the world. Since late 2018, the country has seen a resurgence of cases, highlighting the vulnerability of the progress made over the previous three years.
“It is heartbreaking to witness these new cases, especially in regions where the virus spreads undetected,” said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s focal person for polio eradication. “Each new case signifies a child whose life will be forever impacted by a disease that is easily preventable through vaccination.”
Farooq reiterated the government’s commitment to revitalizing polio eradication efforts and urged parents to take responsibility for their children’s vaccinations.
Read More: Islamabad Reports First Polio Case in 16 Years
Among the three new cases reported, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded its first: a 9-month-old girl from the Mohmand tribal district. Initial investigations by the Provincial Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for Polio revealed that the child had received no routine immunizations and had only been given polio drops twice during the last four campaigns.
In response, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur ordered an inquiry, directing the health secretary to suspend both the Mohmand district health officer and the polio coordinator. “Those responsible for the inadequate polio campaign in District Mohmand must be identified and held accountable,” Gandapur stated. “Action should also be taken against staff from partner institutions and relevant government officials.”
The federal government has updated its National Polio Eradication Emergency Operations Plan to address critical gaps in campaign quality, including access for migrant populations, vaccine acceptance, and service delivery ahead of the 2024 campaigns.
The polio program announced, “Before the end of the year, Pakistan will implement two large-scale, house-to-house campaigns essential for closing immunity gaps and reversing the virus’s spread.”
Anwarul Haq, National Coordinator for the Polio Emergency Operations Center, emphasized the urgency of vaccination: “Every new child affected by polio highlights the gaps in immunity. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that children do not miss their vaccination opportunities.”
Pakistan’s polio eradication program began in 1994, and although cases have significantly declined since then, the country still faces numerous challenges. These include militancy targeting polio workers, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the need to adapt to climate disasters like floods, which continue to disrupt efforts in areas where the virus remains active.
