Pakistan Reports 3 New Polio Cases, Total Reaches 59

Islamabad: Pakistan has reported three additional cases of wild poliovirus, bringing the total number of polio cases this year to 59, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

The newly reported cases were identified in Dera Ismail Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Keamari (Karachi, Sindh), and Kashmore (Sindh). This update comes a week after a 27-month-old child in Dera Ismail Khan’s Drazanda tehsil was confirmed to have contracted the virus.

• Dera Ismail Khan has now recorded eight cases in 2024.
• The latest case in Keamari marks its third this year.
• Kashmore has reported its first case of the year.

Polio Cases by Region

• Balochistan: 26 cases (highest)
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 16 cases
• Sindh: 15 cases
• Punjab: 1 case
• Islamabad: 1 case

The poliovirus, a highly contagious disease, primarily affects children under the age of five, especially those with low immunity or incomplete vaccination coverage. Health officials are intensifying efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy, which remains a major hurdle in eradicating the disease.

“Vaccines are safe and essential to protect children from paralysis. Listening to conspiracy theories is putting children at grave risk,” said a Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) official, urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Authorities are working to address challenges such as security concerns and misinformation about vaccines.