Two more polio cases in Sindh

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD:

The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Tuesday confirmed two more cases in Sindh, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to 26 this year.

One case was reported from Karachi East district, and the other from Sajawal district. This raises Sindh's polio case count to seven—two from Keamari, two from Hyderabad, one from Shikarpur, one from Sajawal, and one from Karachi East.

According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), this year 15 polio cases had been reported from Balochistan, seven from Sindh, two from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Meanwhile, speaking at a ceremony in the federal capital, Prime Minister Shehbaz stressed the need for eradicating polio and hepatitis in the country through sustained efforts, similar to the successful elimination of trachoma, a contagious eye infection.

At the ceremony, World Health Organization Head of Mission in Pakistan Dr Lou Dapeng presented a Trachoma-free Pakistan certificate to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to sustain their hard work and dedication, emphasising that such efforts could elevate Pakistan to new heights of excellence, as long as they were prepared to tackle the challenges ahead.

(WITH INPUTS FROM APP)