Pakistan reports another polio case

Islamabad: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in the country.

The lab confirmed one polio case from a male child from Jacobabad. The onset of this case was on December 27, 2024.

Jacobabad has now reported five polio cases in 2024.

Pakistan has been responding to an intense resurgence of WPV1 with 71 cases reported in 2024. Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 21 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and  Islamabad.

Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children with high immunity against this terrible disease.

The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.

The year’s first Polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to be conducted nationwide from February 3 – 9, 2025.

It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.