- This is the second polio case reported in Saifullah Fort in 2024.
- Pakistan is one of the only two countries in the world where polio is prevalent.
- Vaccine misinformation is the main obstacle to polio eradication.
ISLAMABAD: The number of children infected with polio in Pakistan has risen to 46, and the last case reported was in Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan.
Authorities confirmed that a months-old baby had been diagnosed with the virus, marking the 23rd case of polio in Balochistan this year.
This is the second polio case reported in Saifullah Fort in 2024.
Officials also reported that environmental samples from 76 counties across the country tested positive for the virus, confirming its nationwide spread.
Pakistan is one of the only two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.
Since its launch in 1994, the country’s polio eradication program has largely contained the virus by organizing frequent vaccination campaigns. The country was on the verge of completely eliminating the disease until this year with only six cases reported in 2023.
However, experts point to misinformation about the polio vaccine as a major obstacle to eradication efforts.
The southwestern province emerged as an area of intense polio transmission this year, with 23 cases out of 41 in the country. Apart from Balochistan, Sindh reported 12 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nine, while Punjab and Islamabad each recorded one case.
Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that mainly affects children under the age of five, who suffer from malnutrition or weakened immunity because they have not been adequately or undervaccinated against polio and other childhood diseases.
The disease invades the nervous system and causes paralysis or even death. Although there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this disabling disease.
Pakistan’s aggressive efforts towards polio eradication face significant challenges, especially in areas where insecurity, misinformation, and parental disapproval are hampering vaccination campaigns.