The virus was confirmed in 18-month-old Najibulhaq. PHOTO: FILE
The National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad on Wednesday confirmed one polio case of the 14 suspected cases reported from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and Frontier Region (FR) Bannu a day earlier.
According to a report issued by NIH, the virus was found in the stool sample of 18-month-old Najibulhaq, a resident of Hindi Khel village in FR Bannu.
“Accessing FR Bannu is difficult for polio vaccination teams due to the ‘ban’ imposed in neighbouring NWA in June 2012,” said a relevant official while referring to restrictions imposed by Taliban leaders. This is the third polio case reported from Bannu in 2013.
The government’s efforts to eliminate the crippling disease has borne little fruit as polio cases continue to surface in the tribal belt, especially in areas where vaccination teams are not allowed to enter. Around 25 cases of the virus have been reported in the country so far this year, of which 15 have been from the tribal areas alone.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2013.
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Another strategy of TTP against the citizens. If they can't murder them,they are making sure that they get crippled.