Alarm bells in K-P after 10 polio cases reported in 2019 thus far

Officials believe level of risk posed to children by poliovirus increased after last month’s incident in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Officials believe the situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is turning out to be alarming since 10 of the total 15 polio cases have been reported from the province this year.

Five cases have been reported from Bannu, two from North Waziristan and one each from Bajaur, Hangu and Khyber districts in 2019, according to an official communiqué from the federal capital to the emergency operation center in Peshawar. It also added that the Peshawar incident in April increased the level of risk posed to the children of the province by poliovirus.

The virus has been persistently detected from sewage water in Peshawar, Bannu, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan and South Waziristan districts.

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The letter from Babar Bin Atta, focal person to the prime minister on polio, read the current situation needed to be dealt efficiently and aggressively through collective efforts by all stakeholders. However, the main responsibility fell on shoulders of the respective district management, he maintained.

In order to deliberate on the ongoing polio situation in the province, especially in Peshawar and Bannu, a high-level delegation headed by the federal minister of state for national health services is expected to be visiting the provincial capital on Wednesday.

Atta has also issued directives for holding a meeting of the provincial task force on polio eradication on the same day that would be attended by members of the task force including the provincial health minister, chief secretary, IG police and commissioners of Peshawar and Bannu divisions.