ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported yet another poliovirus case taking the national tally to 17 cases detected in 2024. The latest case was registered in federal capital Islamabad the other day, Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (PPEP) said.
According to PPEP, on June 8th first polio virus case was reported in Quetta provincial capital city of Balochistan while the latest wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case has been reported in Islamabad.
In August 2024, Pakistan has reported seven poliovirus cases. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has notified the 17th polio case of the year from Islamabad where the virus was found in 8-9 year old boy.
Country has reported 16 polio cases this year so far
This year 12 out of 17 poliovirus cases have been detected in Balochistan, three in Sindh province, one WPV1 in Punjab while no poliovirus case was reported Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
In Balochistan province, eight out of 12 poliovirus cases are reported in Pashtun-dominated districts bordering Afghanistan as five cases are reported in district Qilla Abdullah, one in Chaman, one in district Zhob, one in Killa Saifullah, while one apiece in case was reported in Dera Bugti, Quetta Jhal Magsi and Kharan districts of the province. In Sindh, one apiece poliovirus case was registered in Shikarpur, Karachi, Kemari and Hyderabad districts. One poliovirus case was reported in district Chakwal of Punjab province.
According to official data, in 2019 Pakistan reported a total of 147 poliovirus cases across 43 districts of the country, of which, 93 cases in 14 districts of KPK, 30 cases in 18 districts of Sindh, 12 cases in six districts of Balochistan and 12 cases in five districts of Punjab.
In 2020, Pakistan reported a total 84 poliovirus cases, of which, 26 in Balochistan, 22 in KPK, 22 in Sindh and 14 in Punjab.
In 2021 only one poliovirus case was reported in District Qilla Abdullah of Balochistan province. In 2022, Pakistan reported a total of 20 poliovirus cases all in KPK province. In 2023, total six poliovirus cases were traced, of which, four in KPK and two in Karachi.
However, a senior official of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations when was contacted to know the actual situation, he on the condition of not to be named said that he has personally visited the resident of the affected child and not found anything concerning as the boy even played football with him. He said that according to the parents of the child, the boy met an accident a few months ago and therefore, he was limping a little bit, but he was declared polio affected.
The official said that further investigations on the case are under progress at the NIH.
Polio has been eliminated in developed nations since long but persists in parts of India, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Gaza Palestine and Pakistan. India which last reported a poliovirus case in 2011 and in 2014 was declared polio-free country recently has reported a poliovirus case in northeastern state of Meghalaya.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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