Sindh Reports Two New Polio Cases, Year’s Tally Reaches 26

APP

Islamabad: Health officials reported two new polio cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of polio cases in Pakistan this year to 26.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed that two children from Karachi East and Sujawal districts in Sindh have been affected by the crippling disease.

This marks the first polio cases of the year in both Karachi East and Sujawal, where environmental samples had recently detected the presence of the poliovirus, indicating that it continues to circulate in communities and poses a significant threat to children.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, expressed her concern, stating, “It is heartbreaking that Pakistani children are still being threatened by a disease that can be easily prevented with the polio vaccine. There is no cure for polio. Once a child is paralyzed, it is irreversible.”

She urged parents, caretakers, and community members to act urgently and ensure all children are vaccinated.

“The decisions we take today are critical for the future of our children. One child affected by polio means hundreds around them could be silent carriers. No child is safe until all children in Pakistan are repeatedly vaccinated, building a wall of protection against the virus.”

The Pakistan Polio Programme is implementing a strategic roadmap aimed at controlling the spread of the virus and halting transmission by mid-2025. This strategy focuses on vaccinating children in high-risk areas, building community trust, and ensuring that all mobile and migrant populations are reached.

Last month, the Programme concluded a mass vaccination campaign that successfully reached 33 million children under five across 115 districts. A second mass vaccination campaign is planned to begin on October 28.

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Center for Polio Eradication, emphasized the importance of nationwide collaboration. “We must unite as a nation and bring all our children forward for polio vaccination during every campaign and through routine immunization to defeat this terrible disease,” he said.

Pakistan has reported 26 polio cases this year, including 15 from Balochistan, seven from Sindh, two from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.