Islamabad – Regional Reference Laboratory Polio Eradication, NIH in Islamabad, has confirmed two new cases of poliovirus in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It is a hard setback in Pakistan in its efforts to combat polio, adding to a total of 23 cases this year. It also points to the persistence of the danger of the virus in the difficult-to-access regions where it is still spreading.
The new cases refer to a 16-month-old girl in Union Council Mullazai in the Tank district, and a 24-month-old girl in a Union Council Miran Shah-3 in North Waziristan. These results are a real alarm that children in disadvantaged communities, especially in those with low vaccination rates, are still at risk of being infected.
Up to now, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has had 15 cases, with 23 cases in total so far, with 6 cases in Sindh, 1 case in Punjab, and 1 case in Gilgit-Baltistan, indicating how widespread the virus is in the country.
Menace of Polio
Polio is an infectious and incurable disease that may cause permanent paralysis or even death. Vaccination is the most effective prevention against it. This is because health experts and officials express the importance of administering repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to all children below the age of five during vaccination campaigns. This must be coupled with maintaining other routine immunizations to develop strong immunity.
Although the last few years have marked some notable improvements, the detection of new polio cases, especially in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, continues to be a major issue.
Both the National and Provincial Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) are trying their best to conduct the best vaccination campaigns. They are doing their best to bridge the gaps in protection and vaccinate the children who were not vaccinated.
Nationwide Campaigns
To help stop the transmission of the poliovirus, the National Emergency Operations Centre has set up a solid vaccination plan for the upcoming low transmission season.
The first nationwide campaign of the season is planned from September 1-7, 2025, but in high-risk areas like southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the focus will be more targeted, starting on September 15. The goal is to get polio drops to more than 28 million kids under five through an extensive door-to-door effort.
These intensified campaigns aim to vaccinate every child in these districts against polio. It’s part of ongoing efforts to quickly boost immunity and patch the gaps that allow the virus to linger.
Parents and caregivers are being strongly encouraged to ensure that their children not only get the vaccine during this upcoming campaign but during every campaign. Their involvement is crucial for safeguarding their children’s health.
