Three new polio cases reported in Pakistan, total rises to 17

(Web Desk): The National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the emergence of one new polio case each from Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, and Umerkot.

According to health department sources, a 15-month-old girl in Lakki Marwat and a 6-month-old girl in North Waziristan have been affected by polio. In Sindh’s Umerkot district, a 5-year-old boy has also tested positive for the virus.

Sources further stated that with these three new cases, the total number of polio cases reported in the country this year has reached 17.

So far, 10 cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to the NIH, polio is an incurable disease that can only be prevented through vaccination. It is essential that all children under the age of five receive polio drops during every campaign. Opposition to polio vaccination can leave children permanently disabled.

The NIH also emphasized that parents play a crucial role in the fight against polio, and that every unvaccinated child can pose a threat to others.