Three new polio cases confirmed in Khyber Agency

The total number of confirmed polio cases in Pakistan has risen to 146.

PESHAWAR: Three new polio cases were reported from Khyber Agency on Thursday, raising the total number of confirmed cases in Pakistan to 146.

All three cases – all of them polio type-1 – were reported from the war affected Khyber Agency where polio eradication campaigns have been affected by the security situation,

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the children affected by polio have been identified as 18 month old Abdul Rauf from Aka Khel, Meri Khel village; eight month old Saliha from the Milward area, Miran Talab village and 11 month old Mohib of the Ghundai area, Karol Khel Bakar Abad village.

The NIH further added that all three children diagnosed with the crippling disease had not received any dose of polio vaccines since campaigns could not be launched due to the bad security situation.

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is leading with 107 reported cases of children being affected with polio virus followed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with 25 cases, whereas Sindh has 11 cases, Balochistan has two and Punjab has reported one case in the ongoing year.