Polio Cases in Pakistan Rise to 67 with Two New Infections Reported

Pakistan’s polio tally for 2024 increased to 67 on Thursday after two new cases were reported, one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and another from Sindh.

The first case was confirmed in Tank district, KP, bringing the total for the province to 19. Sindh also saw a rise in cases with the second infection detected in Kashmore district, taking the province’s tally to 19 as well.

Balochistan remains the hardest-hit province with 27 cases this year, while Islamabad and Punjab have each reported one case.

Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, remains one of the only two countries where polio is still endemic.

While the country had seen a significant decline in cases in recent years, the current year has experienced a worrying uptick.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme emphasizes that polio is a “paralysing” and incurable disease, with vaccination being the only way to prevent it.

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Routine vaccination of children under five provides them with immunity against the virus.

To counter the growing threat, a nationwide vaccination drive was launched last week, aiming to immunize approximately 44 million children.

This effort is supported by 400,000 polio workers deployed across 143 districts to administer polio drops to every child under five.

However, challenges persist, especially in regions plagued by insecurity, misinformation, and parental refusals.

As of 2024, more than 60% of polio-affected children had not received their routine immunizations.

In response, a high-level committee has been established to enhance coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).