Two more polio cases in Sindh, toll reaches 26

Karachi: Two more cases of poliovirus have been reported in Sindh, taking the total number of cases across the country to 26.

According to the media report, an official of the Regional Reference Laboratory of Polio Control at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad said that the latest cases have been confirmed in the districts of Karachi East and Sajawal.

He stated that this is the first case to be reported in both districts this year, adding that seven cases have been reported in the province so far this year.

26 cases of polio have been reported across the country, out of which 22 were reported from Balochistan and Sindh, while two cases were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, besides one case each was confirmed in Punjab and the federal capital.

Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Ayesha Raza Farooq said it is heartbreaking that Pakistani children are still at risk of a disease that can be easily prevented with the help of the available polio vaccine.

She stated that there is no cure for polio, if a child falls victim to it. The child becomes paralyzed for life, however, repeated polio vaccination can protect children from the paralytic effects of this dreaded disease.

Focal Person requested all the parents, teachers, elders, and neighbors to understand the sensitivity of the situation and immediately administer the polio vaccine to all the children.

Ayesha Raza Farooq said that no child anywhere is safe until all children in Pakistan are given frequent polio shots.