Wild Poliovirus IdentifiedIn Sewage Samples Of KP

News Desk

Islamabad: Wild poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples (environmental samples) from the Naray Khuwar site in Peshawar and in another collected from the Civil Hospital-Jani Chowk site in Hangu districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on April 10.

According to the Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, the two detected viruses are genetically linked to poliovirus that was found in the environment in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, in January this year.

National Health Services Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Patel said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are tackling the polio epidemic and will continue to work together to eradicate it.

“Since there are only two endemic nations, there is always a chance of cross-border transmission. Although it is alarming, early detection is essential for enabling us to take the required precautions to safeguard children from polio,” Patel said.

Urging parents to ensure polio vaccination, the Federal Minister stated that our children are continually at risk since the poliovirus is present in our environment. Parents and caregivers must vaccinate their children during the next May campaign and during every campaign in order to protect them from suffering a lifelong impairment.

Pakistan has reported one human case and five environmental samples positive for wild poliovirus so far in 2023.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Coordinator for Polio Eradication Dr Shahzad Baig informed that the virus is known to move with people and that this detection is not unexpected.

Dr Baig added that a virus genetically linked to poliovirus in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, was earlier detected in an environmental sample from Lahore in January as well, but the programme worked tirelessly and successfully prevented its spread to any other district.

NEOC Coordinator further stated, “We are working with NEOC Afghanistan and the provincial EOC to further strengthen cross-border coordination, plug any gaps, and ensure quality vaccination at all border crossings. We are confident that we will prevent any further spread of this virus as well.”

Pakistan and Afghanistan will be conducting a synchronised vaccination campaign during May. The campaign in Pakistan will begin on May 15 in 78 districts, including Peshawar and Hangu and union councils bordering Afghanistan, to vaccinate 23.55 million children under five, while the campaign in Afghanistan will begin on May 14.