Poliovirus Detected In Sewage Samples From Peshawar, Pishin

News Desk

Islamabad: Two sewage samples from Peshawar and Pishin districts have tested positive for wild poliovirus (WPV1).

According to the notification issued by Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, WPV1 was identified from an environmental sample collected from Naray Khuwar in Peshawar on September 5 and from Turwa in Pishin on September 4.

The Peshawar sample is connected to the virus detected in Nangarhar, while the virus detected in Pishin is linked a virus in Kandahar.

Federal Minister for Health Dr Nadeem Jan said that the presence of poliovirus on either side of the border remained a constant risk to all children everywhere.

“A nationwide polio campaign is scheduled for October to vaccinate over 44 million children under the age of five against this disability-causing virus,” Dr Nadeem added.

“In this campaign, I urge parents and professionals to ensure that their children are immunized.”

According to Dr Jan, while the persistent detection of the virus in the environment is concerning, it also demonstrates the efficiency of the Pakistan Polio Programme’s surveillance system. “As two countries with historic geographic and demographic ties, Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot eradicate polio without each other, and both countries stand united in their fight against polio,” he continued. This is the 11th positive sample from Peshawar this year and the first from Balochistan since April 2021.

Both districts were vaccinated against polio in early August and the next campaign, which will be a countrywide drive, is set to begin on October 2.

Federal Health Secretary Iftikhar Shallwani said Pakistan is committed to eradicating polio and has seen a significant decline in the number of cases in recent years.

“We are fighting the virus wherever it appears through swift and effective vaccination campaigns, and we will not rest until Pakistan is free of polio,” he added.

This year, Pakistan has reported two polio cases and 24 positive environmental samples, while Afghanistan has five cases and 33 positive environmental samples.

The district administration in Mohmand has completed preparations for the five-day polio campaign, which will begin on October 2. During the campaign, children will also receive two types of vitamin supplements.

District Health Officer in Mohmand Dr Rafiq Hayat announced on Wednesday that 476 teams, comprising 436 mobile, 28 fixed, and 16 transit teams, were taking part in this campaign to administer polio drops and vitamin supplements to a total of 186,679 children in the district.

This time, two types of vitamin capsules have been included in the campaign. One type is for children under aged 6 months to 1 year, while the other is for children aged 1 to 5 years.

Sukkur reviews anti-polio campaign: Commissioner Sukkur, Ghulam Mustafa Phull said on Wednesday that the active cooperation of parents, teachers, religious leaders, and the media was critical for eliminating fatal polio disease from the country, and notable personalities from different segments of society should also realize their obligations to achieve the target of a polio-free region.  He was speaking to the Divisional Anti-Polio Committee. All possible measures for the seven-day anti-polio campaign, which will commence on October 2, were reviewed in the meeting.

The Commissioner appealed to the parents, social workers, elected representatives, Ulema, and teachers to cooperate with health workers to ensure 100 per cent administration of the anti-polio vaccine to the children.