Polio tally reaches 48 with two new cases in K-P, Sindh

Pakistan has reported two new cases of polio, with the latest victims identified in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This brings the total number of polio cases in the country to 48 for the year.

On November 8, 2024, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health Islamabad confirmed two new cases of Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) in Pakistan.

The first case was reported in a male child from Ghotki district in Sindh, marking the 47th polio case of the year in Pakistan. Ghotki, which borders districts like Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Shikarpur, has not had a reported polio case before this, making this the first case from the district.

The second case, also confirmed on November 8, was from DI Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. DI Khan is a polio-endemic area in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and this marks the third polio case reported from the district this year, bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan to 48 for 2024.

Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from both children is currently underway. Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of the oral polio vaccine to protect children from polio-related disability.

The Polio Programme delivers the vaccine directly to citizens' doorsteps multiple times a year, while the Expanded Programme for Immunization offers vaccines against other childhood diseases at health centers free of charge.

Parents across the country are urged to ensure that all children under five receive multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and complete their routine vaccinations.

Photo: Pakistan Polio Eradication

Anti-polio drive fails to meet target

The recent anti-polio campaign in Rawalpindi district has fallen short of its targets, therefore, the health department has decided to launch another campaign in December. Sources said that the drive failed due to an increase in many families who refused to administer anti-polio drops to their children.

Out of the over 2.2 million children under five in the district, health teams only managed to administer anti-polio drops to about 1.045 million children. Families in Rawalpindi, particularly within Pathan, Kashmiri, and Afghan communities, declined to allow anti-polio drops for their children.

Resistance to the anti-polio drops was also reported in affluent areas such as Satellite Town, along with other neighbourhoods like Pandora, Pirwadhai, Fouji Colony, Bangash Colony, Gali Loharan, Dhoke Hasu, and Dhok Naju.

Efforts to reach children in affluent and high-resistance areas have been largely unsuccessful, with the teams restricted from setting up polio stalls in schools, airports, railway stations, and other public hubs.

Attempts by health department officials, elected representatives, scholars, and local religious leaders to persuade families to administer anti-polio drops to their children have also seen limited success.

A recent assessment by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that the polio virus remains active in Rawalpindi. Sewage samples collected from areas such as Nullah Leh tested positive for the virus, contradicting earlier claims by district authorities that polio had been eradicated.