Pakistan reports new polio case in Balochistan, raising national tally to 43
Pakistan reported its latest polio case on Wednesday in Balochistan’s Chagai district, raising the national count for the year to 43, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic, and vaccination teams are frequently targeted by militants waging a campaign against security forces.
On Monday, Pakistan launched a week-long vaccination campaign with the aim of immunising more than 45 million children under the age of five.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute in of Health has confirmed the detection of the 43rd Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) case in Pakistan,” the statement said.
“On Wednesday, 30 October 2024, the lab confirmed detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus in a child from Chagai district of Balochistan.”
Per the statement, it was the first polio case from Chagai.
So far, 22 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, 07 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 01 each from Punjab and Islamabad. Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the child is underway, the statement added.
Wednesday’s case comes on the heels of a 29-month-old female victim of the disease, the first from Nowshera. Prior to this, the 41st case of polio was also reported from Balochistan, but from the Loralai district.
World Polio Day was observed on October 24, with Pakistan’s tally having reached 40 on the day’s eve.