Balochistan count: 26-month-old boy diagnosed with polio
Child not administered polio drops during the routine immunisation campaign
A file photo of polio worker administering drops to a child. PHOTO: ONLINE
QUETTA:
The year 2015 got off to an inauspicious start in Balochistan with officials identifying another poliovirus sufferer in Chagai district on Thursday — the first day of the New Year.
According to an official, the poliovirus was detected in 26-month-old Mohammad Shafi son of Zahir, resident of Brab Chah area in union council Aamari of Chagai district, which shares a border with Afghanistan and Iran.
Details revealed that the child was not administered polio drops during the routine immunisation campaign.
The polio cases have been emerging in Balochistan’s Quetta zone — comprising Quetta, Pishin and Qila Abdullah but now the nearby districts such as Khuzdar and Chagai are also facing the heat due to the poor administration of immunisation campaign. It was the first case in Balochistan’s Chagai district after two years, as two cases were reported in Chagai in 2010.
Before this, 22 polio cases were diagnosed in 2014 from Balochistan. Twelve cases were reported in Kila Abdullah, five in Quetta, one each in Zhob, Khuzdar, Killa Saifullah, Pishin and Nasirabad.
The anti-polio campaign in Quetta was suspended a few days ago due to the security threats.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2014.
The year 2015 got off to an inauspicious start in Balochistan with officials identifying another poliovirus sufferer in Chagai district on Thursday — the first day of the New Year.
According to an official, the poliovirus was detected in 26-month-old Mohammad Shafi son of Zahir, resident of Brab Chah area in union council Aamari of Chagai district, which shares a border with Afghanistan and Iran.
Details revealed that the child was not administered polio drops during the routine immunisation campaign.
The polio cases have been emerging in Balochistan’s Quetta zone — comprising Quetta, Pishin and Qila Abdullah but now the nearby districts such as Khuzdar and Chagai are also facing the heat due to the poor administration of immunisation campaign. It was the first case in Balochistan’s Chagai district after two years, as two cases were reported in Chagai in 2010.
Before this, 22 polio cases were diagnosed in 2014 from Balochistan. Twelve cases were reported in Kila Abdullah, five in Quetta, one each in Zhob, Khuzdar, Killa Saifullah, Pishin and Nasirabad.
The anti-polio campaign in Quetta was suspended a few days ago due to the security threats.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2014.