Two new polio cases emerge in K-P, FATA

Cases bring total number of those diagnosed with the crippling disease this year to nine

PESHAWAR: Two new cases of wild poliovirus type-1 have surfaced in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on Wednesday, bringing the total number of those diagnosed with the crippling disease this year to nine .

Health officials confirmed 14-month-old Habiba, a resident of Shero Jangai in Union Council Larhama, and another victim tested positive for the virus as reported by health authorities from Khyber Agency.

A ‘Sehat ka Ittihad’ campaign to eradicate nine different diseases from the province and tribal areas is under way to vaccinate 5.3 million children.

A total of nine poliovirus cases have been confirmed in 2015 with three cases from K-P, five from the tribal areas and one from Sindh. The number of cases recorded in 2014 was 303.