Islamabad – Four new cases of polio have been confirmed in Pakistan, raising the total number of cases in 2024 to 63, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The newly reported cases were identified in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Jacobabad, and Sukkur, with Sukkur recording its first case this year.
The EOC revealed that this marks the ninth case from Dera Ismail Khan and the third from Jacobabad. In Sukkur, the affected child is a young boy.
Polio Cases Breakdown by Region:
- Balochistan: 26 cases
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 18 cases
- Sindh: 17 cases
- Punjab: 1 case
- Islamabad: 1 case
The disease, which is highly contagious, primarily targets children under five, especially those with weak immune systems or incomplete vaccination coverage. Alarmingly, more than 60% of affected children in 2024 had not received routine immunisations, according to health officials.
To combat the spread of polio, health authorities have formed a high-level committee to strengthen coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). The committee, led by Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Services, Dr. Malik Muhtar Ahmed Barath, includes provincial health directors and representatives from global health organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
