Another polio case emerges in Balochistan

Total number of cases in province this year rises to 3

QUETTA: Another case of polio was reported in Balochistan on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to three this year.

According to the health department, polio virus has been confirmed in a 7-month-old child in Sibi, whose family had moved to Sibi from Pishin a month ago.  Samples of the child were obtained on February 7. The child’s family refused to give polio drops earlier, officials said.

According to the health officials, last month, special anti-polio vaccination campaigns were completed, but a seven-month-old baby named Khalid was refused anti-polio drops.

According to the child’s mother, she has 8 sons, the last of whom has been infected with polio.

According to the Polio Emergency Centre, three cases have been reported in Balochistan this year, while twelve cases were reported last year.

Earlier, an 18-month-old girl was diagnosed with the crippling disease in Balochistan.

The case was reported from Habib Zai union council of Qila Abdullah, Chaman.

According to health ministry officials, parents of the affected girl had denied administering anti-polio drops to their child during the campaigns that were launched by the government.

The health ministry officials claimed that 80% of the parents in UC Habib Zai refused administering anti-polio drops to their children.

In 2019, 12 polio cases had been reported from Balochistan, of which a large number were reported from Qilla Abdullah.

Balochistan Emergency Polio Centre had also initiated a special polio vaccination campaign after the rise of cases in the province.

The health officials said that special measures were being taken to counter the crippling virus in sensitive areas such as Quetta, Pishin and Qilla Abdullah.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of 5. It invades the nervous system and causes paralysis or even death.

While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of 5 is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2020.