Year's 17th polio case reported from Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan reports its 17th polio case of the year, involving a child from Islamabad who has been paralysed by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected in a child from Union Council Rural 4 of Islamabad.

This is the first human case reported from Islamabad in 16 years, while environmental samples from the federal capital and neighboring Rawalpindi district have been positive for WPV1 since June, underscoring the persistent threat of polio to children's well-being.

"It is incredibly heartbreaking that another Pakistan child has been affected by a disease that has no cure but is entirely preventable with the help of an easily accessible vaccine," said Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq.

She added that in view of the intense outbreak of poliovirus in the country, the polio programme has held in-depth consultative sessions with the provinces and districts to implement plans to improve all aspects of polio eradication activities, starting from a polio campaign beginning next week.

"From September 9 onwards, polio teams will go house-to-house in 115 districts to vaccinate more than 33 million children under five," she said. "This virus does not discriminate. Wherever it finds a child with weak immunity, it will attack. Parents must understand the urgency of ensuring that their children receive polio drops and are up to date on their routine immunization."

This is the 17th polio case of the year from Pakistan. Earlier, 12 cases were reported from Balochistan, three from Sindh and one from Punjab.

Nawabshah

Poliovirus has been detected in sewage water in Nawabshah, dealing another blow to the government's efforts to eradicate the crippling disease from the country.

As per details, environmental samples collected from the main disposal site in Jamshed Colony on August 7 were tested in an Islamabad laboratory, which confirmed the presence of the poliovirus.

Following the concerning development, Deputy Commissioner Shehryar Gul Memon called a meeting at Darbar Hall to chalk out a strategy for the upcoming polio vaccination campaign. The meeting reiterated that the detection of poliovirus in the environment poses a significant threat to children's health, necessitating a renewed focus on the upcoming vaccination efforts.