What's new

Polio cases in Pakistan decrease by 99 percent this year

P

Poseidon

Tape Ball Regular
Joined
Mar 1, 2017
Runs
424
LAMABAD: Pakistan has scored exceptionally well in eradicating the polio virus as the cases have decreased by over 99 per cent in this year if compared with the previous ones.

The only case which emerged at the start of this year January 25 was from Killa Abdullah, Balochistan, after which no case of polio has emerged across the country. In the previous years, in 2020, a total of 84 cases emerged of polio virus and in 2019, there were 147 cases in the whole country. Polio has been recorded to only nine per cent from environmental samplings in the current year as compared to 55 per cent in the last year.
Click to expand...

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/909012-polio-cases-decrease-by-99pc-this-year
 
respect to those polio workers especially in the fata and baluchistan side who work tirelessly to make sure every kid in the area gets there drops
 
Great news.

Somehow it never gets totally eliminated. Unless we get rid of it totally, it will keep coming back. Not a large population in the world is left where it keeps coming back. The focus should be to wipe it out.
 
Pakistani Taliban kill police officer guarding polio jab team


Gunmen from the Pakistani Taliban armed group have killed one police officer guarding a polio vaccination team in northwest Pakistan, in the first attack since the end of a one-month ceasefire with the government.

Mohammad Khurasani, spokesman for the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack that also left another officer wounded.
..
....

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021...n-kill-police-officer-guarding-polio-jab-team
--------------------

These kinds of incidents are a huge setback when it comes to getting rid of polio totally. Many people work hard and they almost get rid of it, but the last mile does not get covered due to such incidents.
 
Buffet said:
Pakistani Taliban kill police officer guarding polio jab team


Gunmen from the Pakistani Taliban armed group have killed one police officer guarding a polio vaccination team in northwest Pakistan, in the first attack since the end of a one-month ceasefire with the government.

Mohammad Khurasani, spokesman for the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack that also left another officer wounded.
..
....

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021...n-kill-police-officer-guarding-polio-jab-team
--------------------

These kinds of incidents are a huge setback when it comes to getting rid of polio totally. Many people work hard and they almost get rid of it, but the last mile does not get covered due to such incidents.
Click to expand...

Evil thugs. May Allah Grant Jannat to the officer.
 
Last edited:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2333669/japan-announces-435m-grant-to-support-pakistans-polio-programme

The government of Japan on Monday announced a $4.35 million grant as part of its continued support to Pakistan for its polio eradication efforts.

The grant will be utilised for the procurement of 24 million oral doses of vaccines. It will allow the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme to reach around 21 million children under the age of five, especially in high-risk districts.

The vaccines will be used during immunisation drives planned in 2022.

According to the National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) 2021-2023, the polio programme's strategic goal is to permanently curb all poliovirus transmission in Pakistan by the end of 2023.

The notes of the grant were signed and exchanged between the Japanese government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Fund signed the agreement.

During the signing ceremony, National Coordinator of the programme Dr Shahzad Baig said that "the polio eradication efforts made substantive progress this year by limiting the virus circulation, resulting in a significant decrease of polio cases despite challenges posed by Covid-19.”

He further stated that the programme was confident to permanently curb all types of polioviruses by the end of 2023.

Appreciating the support of the Japanese government, Dr Shahzad said that "we are grateful to the people and the government of Japan for their unwavering support for the children of Pakistan,” adding that the new funding will enable the country to reach every child in need for the vaccine.

Japan Ambassador to Pakistan Wada Mitsuhiro appreciated the significant progress made this year in controlling the spread of poliovirus, saying that “we are now only one step away from the goal: polio-free Pakistan.”

He reiterated his support for the initiative for eradicating all types of polioviruses by the end of 2023 and noted that Japan has provided assistance in maternal and child health, polio eradication and routine immunisation in Pakistan for decades, and will continue its support.

Unicef Representative in Pakistan, Aida Girma, also said that Pakistan has achieved tremendous success against interrupting poliovirus this year.

She added that from 84 reported polio cases in 2020, the incidence has come down to one case in the last 11 months.

"The last mile towards eradication, however, will be tough and requires continuous support from the partners like the government of Japan to achieve a polio-free status," said Girma.

The new funding is part of Japan’s continuous support for Paksitan’s polio eradication programme since 1996. To date, the grant and loan contribution from Japan has amounted to approximately $230.497 million.
Click to expand...
 
In Pakistan, for the first time ever, there hasn’t been a single child paralyzed by wild poliovirus in more than a year or any virus detected in the environment in more than two months.

polio.jpg

Source: Gates foundation

-------------------

Great job here. Let's keep it going for a few years then polio will be totally done.
 
Good news. Need to be cautious as the numbers could rise again any time.
 
May Allah bless the brave Jehadis that go and do the hard yards and face threats of violence
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Attack on polio team

The threat of deadly violence never seems to diminish for health workers and police officials involved in door-to-door polio vaccination campaigns in the country. On Tuesday, two policemen and a health worker were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in North Waziristan’s Datakhel tehsil. The attack took place in the Tang Kali locality near the Pak-Afghan border. This is the second such attack since January this year when a policeman escorting a vaccination team was shot dead in Kohat. The attack in North Waziristan has come on the heels of an aggressive resurgence of the wild poliovirus in the area. Since only April this year, at least 11 cases of the wild poliovirus have been reported from a cluster of high-risk union councils. These cases had surfaced after a hiatus of 15 months that had given hope that Pakistan might be on the brink of eliminating the crippling disease from its territory. However, as the attack demonstrates, Pakistan still has a long way to go before achieving polio-free status. Moreover, refusals still remain high in North Waziristan. According to reports, silent refusals by parents and fake markings on children’s fingers were one of the key reasons for the abnormally high number of cases.

Though the investigation is still ongoing, the latest attack on the polio team reflects the high mistrust of official authorities in this area. The issue of refusals is a long-standing one, and WHO and Unicef on many occasions have asked the Pakistani authorities to address the problem of missing and invisible children who remain outside the umbrella of immunisation campaigns. On the other hand, as the wild poliovirus remains endemic only in the Pak-Afghan region, cross-border coordination for its elimination is the need of the hour. Recent events have made it clear that aggressive campaigning for the administration of the polio vaccine is no longer enough, and that a wide-ranging, sensitive and strategic effort is required to address the public’s suspicions regarding the government’s anti-polio efforts.


https://www.dawn.com/news/1697464/attack-on-polio-team
 
Excellent effort rolling out the mass vaccination Pakistan!

This will have a tremendous positive effect in terms of quality of life and life expectancy.

Back in the day, European and American kids could be crippled for life by visiting a swimming pool.
 
Army chief orders more manpower, resources for polio teams
The Army Chief inaugurates state-of-the-art Tunnelling Institute of Pakistan (TIP)

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Wednesday ordered for providing additional manpower and resources in sensitive locations to ensure a safe and secure environment for polio teams for proper reach and effectiveness of polio campaigns to achieve the objective of a polio-free Pakistan.

He visited the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) and was appraised about the latest polio campaigns, conducted in the country and challenges being faced by the polio teams.

Earlier, the army chief inaugurated state-of-the-art Tunnelling Institute of Pakistan (TIP), an initiative of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) here. The TIP is aimed at promoting professional tunnelling expertise including research and development and synergise tunnelling resources.

It will provide a distinctive platform to encompass tunnelling education through both tunnelling academia and industry experts.

The TIP is only the sixth such facility in the world that has been completed and operationalised within just 10 months by the FWO. On arrival at the TIP, the COAS was received by Engineer-in-Chief Lieutenant General Moazzam Ejaz and Director General FWO Major General Kamal Azfar.

The News PK
 
Two policemen guarding a polio vaccination team have been shot dead by gunmen in north-west Pakistan.

The team of two vaccinators was unharmed, police said.

Local polio vaccination teams are often targeted by anti-vaccine militants, some of whom claim vaccination is a Western plot to sterilise Muslims.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where polio, which in severe cases can be fatal or leave patients paralysed, remains endemic.

The two gunmen had been hiding near a small water channel before opening fire on the guards from a "very close range", local police said.

"The gunmen spared the two-member polio vaccination team... and fled on a motorbike," senior officer Waqar Ahmad Khan told AFP.
 
21m children to be given polio shots
A five-day vaccination campaign starts today

A polio vaccination campaign to immunise more than 21.54 million children under the age of five will kick off in Sindh and Punjab on March 13 (today).

The five-day vaccination campaign is being held in two phases due to the concurrent activities of the seventh national census.

In the first phase, over 17.41 million children under the age of five in 13 districts of Punjab and 16 districts of Sindh and Islamabad will be vaccinated from March 13 to March 17.

The second phase will be held from April 3 to 7, during the second week of Ramazan, to vaccinate more than 4.12 million children in 12 districts of Balochistan and 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the seven endemic districts in the southern region of the province.

...
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2405799/21m-children-to-be-given-polio-shots
 
France pledges $55m to fight polio in Pakistan

The French Development Agency (AFD) has joined global polio eradication partners with its commitment to filling the funding gap of Pakistan government in its efforts to eradicate polio.

According to a statement issued by the health ministry on Sunday, a delegation of the AFD and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation met the special health secretary and visited the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Erad*ication.

The meetings were part of the delegation’s week-long visit to Pakistan to help support the country in areas of health and social protection.

During a briefing at the NEOC, the AFD committed to supporting the government’s Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) in immunisation activities, disease surveillance, polio campaign monitoring and other technical areas, and filling the funding gap of $55 million (under the PC-1 for polio eradication, 2022-26) that the programme needed.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1743160/france-pledges-55m-to-fight-polio-in-pakistan
 
^ it always worries me when funds come our way. I can just imagine those in-charge licking their fingers.
 
Good on France to help out Pakistan in spite of all the anti-french sentiment not long ago.
 
There's a ton of people who still believe vaccination is an evil thing in Pak. Even a lot of educated ones.
 
A country-wide anti-polio campaign is commencing from Monday in which over forty million children will be administered the polio vaccine along with the supplementary dose of vitamin A.

Talking about anti-polio campaign in the country, caretaker Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan urged parents to fully cooperate with the polio teams and ensure the administration of polio drops to their children.

He said that eradication of Polio from the country is the responsibility of every citizen. He said that incidence of polio has been reduced to only a few areas of the country.

The health minister said that the global certification requires that no polio case emerges for the three consecutive years.

He urged the educated people to create awareness among masses about the crippling disease.

Last week, caretaker Federal Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan vowed that his ministry was providing and utilising all available resources to eradicate polio from Pakistan permanently till the end of the year 2023.

“Polio-free Pakistan’ is a national goal which is now close to our mission of ending polio”, he said while talking to a private news channel.

He assured that the caretaker government is making all out efforts to root out the polio virus from the country and these endeavors will produce positive results.

Source: ARY
 
Surge in polio cases alarms health officials

ISLAMABAD: As many as nine more environmental samples, collected from six districts, have been found positive for poliovirus, taking the nationwide tally to 64 this year.

According to an official of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, nine sewage samples collected from six districts have been tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

“The virus was isolated from two environmental samples collected from Karachi South, two from Karachi East, two from Chaman, and one each from Kohat, Peshawar and Nowshera,” the official said.

He said that according to the genome sequencing, all isolated viruses belong to the YB3A poliovirus cluster which is circulating in Afghanistan.

“Samples of sewage water from the area are a basic parameter to determine the success of polio campaigns. Moreover, the presence of virus in sewage also shows that the immunity level of children in the area has fallen and they are at risk of catching the disease,” he added.

Expressing concern at the detection of the virus in sewage samples, Federal Minister for Health Dr Nadeem Jan said children under five were at great risk from poliovirus which can cause lifelong paralysis in vulnerable children.

“There is no cure for this disease; only the polio vaccine can provide continued protection,” he said.

“Parents and caregivers must understand the risk to their children’s wellbeing. Every time a polio vaccinator knocks on your door, welcome them in and make sure that your children receive two drops of this life-saving vaccine,” he said.

Dr Jan said the Pakistan Polio Programme’s polio surveillance was among the best in the world and those prompt detections highlighted its efficiency. “The Programme is well-prepared to deal with virus detection anywhere in the country and we are committed to eradicating this disease from our soil,” he added.

So far this year, four polio cases and 64 positive environmental samples have been reported from Pakistan. Last month, Dr Jan claimed that 90 per cent cases polio cases in Pakistan were imported from Afghanistan.

“Of the 34 samples that we have received, 90pc have come from Afghanistan … our own are even less than 10pc,” he said on Dawn News programme Doosra Rukh.

Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease caused by poliovirus, which mainly affects children under the age of five. The virus invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death in some cases.

There is no cure for polio, and only repeated vaccination is the most effective way to protect children. The polio vaccine has protected millions of children from the disease, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two endemic countries in the world.

SOURCE: DAWN​
 
Anti-polio campaign: 294,000 children left unvaccinated in Punjab

LAHORE: The Punjab government has left 294,000 children unvaccinated across the province during the last month anti-polio drive, posing a serious threat to the health of the kids living in the surroundings of the ‘still missed children’.

The provincial capital was at the top among other cities where 3.3 per cent of the total ‘still missed children’ were left unvaccinated, followed by Rahim Yar Khan 2.6pc and Rawalpindi 2.4pc. Similarly, Multan, Faisalabad and Sheikhpura were other cities where the missed children’s percentage was recorded 2.1, 1.9 and 1.7, respectively.

It was unveiled in an assessment report of the health department on the last National Immunisation Drive (NID) carried out in October across the province, leaving the global health bodies stunned.

According to the report, Punjab was to access 22.5 million target population of the under five-year children (a copy of the report is also available with Dawn).

Over 100,000 teams of the health workers were constituted and dispatched to their respective areas to immunise the target kids.It is worth to mention here that last year (in 2022), the Punjab government had missed 140,440 children for polio vaccine showing nonseriousness of the health authorities towards an initiative launched by the global health bodies funding and leading the drives internationally.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) had set a target for Pakistan and Afghanistan to interrupt the polio virus circulation by the end of 2023. The IMB seemed to be worried that the reservoirs of the polio virus reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been detected in Lahore and other parts of Punjab, declaring it an alarming sign to eliminate the crippling disease from Pakistan.

The report unveiled that out of the total target population, the Punjab government misssed 3.2 million children (14.6pc of the target population) during October NID across the province.

The health authorities dispatched teams which revisited the poorly covered areas of Punjab and vaccinated 1.7 million ‘missed children’ which constituted 54pc of the total missed population.

The catch-up campaigns were also launched when the global health bodies continued to express serious concerns over poor coverage to a large population of the kids in Punjab. In the catch-up drives, the health teams covered for polio vaccine 1.2 million (37pc) more ‘missed kids’ out of the 1.7 million leftover children.

The report further exposed the provincial government saying that according to the assessment report there were a total of 269 localities which were marked by the experts as ‘poorly covered areas’.

Of them they identified 63 areas in Lahore which constituted 23pc (63 poorly covered areas) of the total localities, showing the scale of the indifference of the authorities concerned towards the provincial capital which was housing too many admin offices to oversee the anti-polio drive.

After Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad marked most of the poorly covered areas for vaccination to the children, according to the report.

Similarly, the report marked total 83 missed areas in Punjab where no polio team reached to vaccinate the children in October. Of them, the provincial capital again topped by reporting 16 ‘missed areas’, followed by 15 in DG Khan and six each in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

An official said the IMB had warned the Punjab government last year that the missed children were a big threat to the efforts for anti-polio activities in the province particularly and Pakistan in general.

He said Lahore was continuously reporting environmental sample positive.

“If wild poliovirus transmission is to be stopped in Pakistan, the remarkable recent achievement of clearing long-established poliovirus reservoirs and sanctuaries in the country must also stand the test of time,” reads the IMB report.

SOURCE: DAWN​
 
A police offer deployed to provide security to the polio vaccination team was martyred on Mundan Road, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

According to the initial details, the police officer was on his way to perform duty in an anti-polio drive, when unidentified miscreants targeted him.

The police started the search operation to arrest the culprit.

It is worth mentioning here that it was the second attack reported on the officers deployed on the security of polio teams during the last 24 hours.

On August 1, two cops were martyred as unknown gunmen attacked a polio vaccination team in Quetta’s suburban area.

The volunteers — two women — in the polio vaccination teams remained unhurt, said police.

Taking notice of the unfortunate incident, Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo condemned the attack and expressed grief over the martyrdom of the policemen.

The chief minister termed the incident a conspiracy against the healthy future of the children.

Source: ARY

arynews.tv

Cop martyred in Bannu attack

BANNU: A police offer deployed to provide security to the polio vaccination team was martyred on Mundan Road, ARY News reported on Wednesday. According to
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Poliovirus reported in two more environmental samples

Pakistan's Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of poliovirus in more samples of sewage water from Karachi's South District and Balochistan's Chaman.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed poliovirus in environmental samples of Quetta district.

According to the Ministry of Health spokesperson, the poliovirus was found in two samples of sewage water from Quetta.

He said that the surveillance system of the polio program is very strong, as per ARY News.

The spokesperson said that the government is ensuring effective measures to eradicate polio. He said an integrated strategy has been formulated in high-risk areas of polio.

He said that parents must give their children a polio vaccine during every polio immunization campaign. (ANI).
​
SOURCE: ARY NEWS
 
Polio starts rearing its ugly head in country

The poliovirus has started to spread its claws again in the country as the crippling disease has been detected in 14 sewage samples from seven cities.

According to the Ministry of Health sources, the cities affected by the poliovirus belong to Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as the number of sewage samples positive for polio in 2023 reached 112.

According to the sources, the poliovirus is present in sewage of Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Sukkur, while tests of sewage of Islamabad, Hyderabad, and Kohat were also positive. Samples for polio testing were taken from five cities from Dec 4 to 12, the sources added.

In Peshawar, the sewage samples of Hayatabad, Narekhor, Gulabad, Tajabad, Changi Yusufabad tested positive for polio. During 2023, the poliovirus was found in Peshawar sewage 29 times. The sewage virus is genetically linked to Afghanistan and Rawalpindi.

The poliovirus is also present in the sewage of Faqirabad district of Kohat. It was found for the third time in the sewage sample of Kohat in 2023. Samples for testing were taken from there on Dec 13. The genetic link of the poliovirus in Kohat is Gadap, Karachi.

Sewage samples of Machhar Colony and Rashid Minhas Road in East Karachi are also polio positive. Samples were taken from there on Dec 11 and 12 while genetic link is from Gadap and Liaquatabad. In 2023, 13 sewage samples from Karachi East came out polio positive.

The poliovirus had been confirmed in the sewage sample of Mohammad Khan Colony, Keamari in 2023.

The poliovirus was found for seventh time in the sewage of Keamari with a genetic link to Peshawar.

Haji Mureed Goth sewage from central Karachi tested positive for polio, and in 2023, sewage here tested positive for polio for the fourth time, which is genetically linked to Karachi East.

The sewage sample of the Khamiso Goth area of Karachi West is positive for polio as in 2023, its sewage was shown to be positive for polio for the first time. It is genetically related to Gadap.

Sewage samples of Jacob Pump and Latifabad in Hyderabad tested positive for polio in 2023. Hyderabad sewage tested positive for polio for the fourth time. The virus is genetically local.

The sewage from the Maka pumping station in Sukkur also tested positive for polio. In 2023, the poliovirus with genetic links to Liaquatabad in Karachi was found for the first time in the sewage there.

The poliovirus was also confirmed in the railway bridge sewage sample in the Quetta area. In 2023, the poliovirus was found for the eighth time in the Quetta sewage. Its genetic link is from Chaman.

The sewage sample from the Jhangi Syedan area of Islamabad also tested positive for polio for the first time, with a genetic link to Peshawar. It should be noted that six cases of the poliovirus were reported in the country during 2023.



tribune.com.pk

Polio starts rearing its ugly head in country | The Express Tribune

Fourteen sewage samples from seven cities test positive for crippling virus
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
It is very unfortunate that Pakistan is one of two countries in which polio is still endemic alongside Afghanistan.
 
The District Health Authority (DHA) has acquired the services of the police department to provide security to polio workers so that they accompany them in sensitive areas to administer drops to children during the seven-day anti-polio drive.

The entry points to Rawalpindi have been focused on the anti-polio campaign, in which the children from other districts will be administered polio drops at the entrance points of Rawalpindi.

According to the details, the anti-polio campaign started on January 8 and will continue till January 14. Approximately, 1,015,262 children under the age of five years will be administered the polio vaccine in Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Kotli Sattian, Murree, Taxila, Rawalpindi Cantt and Rawalpindi City.

To implement the anti-polio campaign plan, 3,675 mobile teams, 330 fixed centres, 163 transit centres, and 245 UC MOs will participate in the anti-polio drive.

Religious scholars have been involved in the drive to persuade parents to administer polio drops to their children in the Pakhtun communities to make the campaign successful. DHA Chief Executive Dr Ijaz Ahmed said that the drive has yielded positive results so far, however, in the city and cantonment areas where there is a fear of interfering with the work of the polio teams, security personnel have been deployed at the desired locations.

Dr Ahmed said that during the anti-polio campaign, the focus is on administering polio vaccine to children whose families are coming from other cities. While at home, the guest children are also being administered anti-polio drops.

Source: Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

Polio workers to get security cover | The Express Tribune

Seven-day anti-polio drive to conclude on January 14
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
The Ministry of Health has confirmed the presence of poliovirus in environmental samples from nine districts of the country.

According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, the virus was found in one sample each from Quetta, Mastung, Multan, Peshawar, Nowshera, and Hab.

The Poliovirus was also found in samples from Karachi Malir, Karachi South and Dera Ismail Khan.

He said that the virus found in all the samples was from across the border. He said that the only way to prevent transmission of the virus is the polio vaccine.

He added children can be protected from disability by vaccination against polio. He added parents must give the polio vaccine to their children under five years of age.

Last year, Islamabad reported six polio cases as Pakistan and Afghanistan remained the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic.


Source: ARY News
 
More than 45.8 million children under five years of age would be vaccinated during the second anti-polio campaign across the country starting from February 26.

Children would also be given vitamin A supplements to boost their immunity in the campaign which is kicking off from February 26 to March 3 in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and in 33 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from March 2 to March 6.


ARY News
 
In a horrific incident, a policeman and polio worker sustained injuries in the attack on polio team in Bar Qambar Khel, Khyber district, ARY News reported.

As per details, the unknown assailants opened fire on the polio team in Khyber district, injuring a policeman Gul Karim and polio worker Abdullah.

Both the injured have been shifted to hospital and a search operation is being carried out surrounding areas of the incident.

A heavy contingent of police personnel has reached the spot of incident and further investigation is underway.

Earlier, at least two cops were martyred as terrorists attacked a polio team in Bannu Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As per details, DIG Qasim Ali Khan said that exchange of fire took place between terrorists and police in Bannu, resulting in the death of two cops while injuring two others.

The police officials stated the terrorists have taken refuge in a house however clashes between the police officials and terrorists continued.

It is pertinent to mention here that a week-long nationwide anti-polio drive began in the country on Monday to administer vaccine drops to children under five years of age.

Pakistan aims to vaccinate over 45.8 million children below the age of five during the second anti-polio campaign of this year

According to details, polio workers will visit door to door to vaccinate anti-polio drops to children below the age of five.

arynews.tv

Polio worker, policeman injured in Khyber district attack

KHYBER: In a horrific incident, a policeman and polio worker sustained injuries in the attack on polio team in Bar Qambar Khel, Khyber district, ARY News
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Who will make these ignorant people understand that this is for the benefit of their own children.....
 
KP CM expresses determination to eradicate polio in meeting with Gates Foundation
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has expressed his determination to make the province polio-free in a meeting with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Deputy Director Micheal Galloway.

In a post on X, Gandapur said a two-member delegation of the foundation visited him at the KP CM House to discuss joint initiatives and efforts for the eradication of the poliovirus in the province.

Gandapur said the provincial government will take all possible steps to eradicate polio because it is a matter of our children’s safe future and no compromise will be made on this.

Source : Dawn News
 

Polio virus detected in environmental samples of Karachi, Quetta​

Karachi has been detected in environmental samples of Karachi and Quetta, ARY News reported citing National Institute of Health (NIH) sources.

According to the details, the same cross-border virus was found in two polio-positive cases earlier this year in Chaman and Dera Bugti. The polio has so far been found in sewerage and environmental samples of 31 districts of the country.

The Ministry of Health will kick off an anti-polio campaign later this month in which over 20 million children aged under five will be immunised.

Twelve environmental samples from eight major cities have tested positive for poliovirus
According to sources, the virus of crippling disease was found in 12 sewerage samples of eight cities of Pakistan

including, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat and Mastung.
The samples were taken from March 14 to 19 and tested positive for the wild polio virus, sources added.
Earlier on March 15, Pakistan has reported the second polio case of 2024,.

The second case of crippling disease of polio was reported in Chaman’s Mir Ali Zai area where a four-year-old boy was confirmed with the disease.

The first polio case of 2024 in Pakistan was reported in Dera Bugti when a two-and-a-half-year-old child from Dera Bugti was confirmed with the poliovirus.

Source: Ary News
 
Pakistan Polio Eradication Program chief Dr Shahzad Baig ‘resigns’

Sources said Dr Shahzad Baig was asked to ‘quit’ as he failed to contain the spread of polio virus being the head of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program.

Shahzad Baig was appointed as the head of the anti-polio program during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government’s tenure and the incumbent government was not ‘happy’ with his performance.

Baig has forwarded his resignation to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Pakistan has reported three cases of poliovirus in 2024 so far, while 153 sewage samples also tested positive for the poliovirus.

Yesterday, the National Polio Testing Laboratory released a report on sewage samples from 5 districts, confirming the presence of poliovirus.

According to sources, the virus was found in sewage samples from Karachi, Quetta and Kohat. This year, 153 out of 39 districts’ sewage samples have tested positive for poliovirus.

The sampling for polio testing was conducted from May 9 to 15 in 5 districts. Karachi East’s Rashid Minhas Road and Machhar Colony sewage samples tested positive for poliovirus, sources said.

arynews.tv

Pakistan Polio Eradication Program chief Dr Shahzad Baig 'resigns'

Pakistan Polio Eradication Program chief Dr Shahzad Baig has 'resigned' from the office upon 'failure' in containing the spread of virus.
arynews.tv
 
Pakistan reports fifth polio case of 2024

According to sources, the latest case is a two-year-old child from Quetta, Balochistan, who tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

The National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the fifth polio case reported in Pakistan this year.

This is the fifth polio case in 2024 as Pakistan had earlier reported four cases. One case was from Sindh whereas the three cases reported were from Balochistan.

The country reported six polio cases last year, with four from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Karachi.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis, disability, and even death. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent polio, and Pakistan has been working to vaccinate millions of children under the age of five to prevent the spread of the disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working with Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only two countries where polio is still endemic, to implement a synchronized polio vaccination campaign

arynews.tv

Pakistan reports fifth polio case of 2024

ISLAMABAD: A new case of polio has been reported in Pakistan, bringing the total number of cases in the country to five in 2024, ARY News reported citing
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 

In meeting with Bill Gates, PM Shehbaz vows to eradicate polio from Pakistan​

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed his resolve to completely eradicate polio from the country in a meeting attended by Bill Gates and officials of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The meeting of the National Taskforce for Polio Eradication in Islamabad marks the second time Gates has visited Pakistan, previously meeting then-PM Imran Khan in February 2022 on the premier’s “special invitation”.

The premier had earlier met Gates in April on the World Economic Forum summit’s sidelines where he said that Pakistan was working tirelessly to eradicate polio from the country.

He thanked the BMGF for its longstanding support for polio eradication in Pakistan and said that a sustained effort was required by all partners to reach the ultimate goal of a polio-free Pakistan

Today, Shehbaz emphasised that the federal and provincial governments are working in unison to eradicate polio, noting that five polio eradication campaigns have been conducted in the past six months.

Nine more positive environmental samples for polio were detected last week, taking the tally for the current year to 185. Five cases of polio have been reported this year.

The prime minister highlighted other areas of cooperation with the foundation, including digitisation, saying it would bring huge dividends to Pakistan’s economy.

Speaking on the occasion, Gates said that polio eradication efforts would continue for the next two to three years to ensure total eradication of polio from Pakistan.

Earlier in March, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed his determination at making the province polio-free in a meeting with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Deputy Director Micheal Galloway.

In a telephone call with Gates last year, Shehbaz emphasised to the Microsoft co-founder that Pakistan remained committed to ending all forms of polio in the country.

Source: DAWN
 

Pakistan reports two new poliovirus cases, taking this year’s tally to 8​


Pakistan reported two new cases of the poliovirus on Friday, the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed, taking this year’s tally of polio cases to eight.

Pakistan reported its sixth polio case on Tuesday. The disease has been eliminated in developed nations but persists in parts of India, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The two new cases of the disease were reported from the country’s southwestern Balochistan province and Karachi city, the NIH said in a report.

“The National Institute of Health Islamabad has confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) in stool specimens from two children, one from Killa Abdullah district and the other from Karachi Keamari district,” the institute said.

In Killah Abdullah, a 24-month-old boy contracted polio and suffered paralysis on May 22, the NIH said. It added that this was the third polio case from Killah Abdullah and the sixth overall this year from Balochistan.

Meanwhile, in Karachi, a 36-month-old girl contracted the disease and suffered paralysis on June 3.

“This is the first polio case from District Karachi Keamari and the second from Sindh province,” the NIH said.

Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate the disease have met a stiff challenge in the form of attacks by militant outfits on polio workers.

Many Pakistanis, particularly those residing in the conservative tribal areas, consider the polio vaccination a Western campaign aimed at sterilizing the country’s population.

In 2012, the local Taliban had ordered a ban on immunization against polio in some tribal districts. Dozens of polio workers have been killed in the country in the line of duty.

www.arabnews.pk

Pakistan reports two new poliovirus cases, taking this year’s tally to 8

QUETTA: Pakistan reported two new cases of the poliovirus on Friday, the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed, taking this year’s tally of polio cases to eight. Pakistan reported its sixth polio case on Tuesday. The disease has been eliminated in developed nations but persists in parts...
www.arabnews.pk www.arabnews.pk
 

Polio worker injured in Karachi shooting​


A polio worker was injured in a shooting by robbers in Karachi’s SITE Superhighway Industrial Area, according to police reports. One suspect was arrested with weapons and a motorcycle recovered, while two accomplices managed to escape.

According to Express News, the incident occurred near a private textile mill within the SITE Superhighway Industrial Area police station limits. Upon hearing the gunfire, local police responded promptly and apprehended one suspect. The other two fled the scene.

The injured individual has been identified as 27-year-old Azam, son of Ayub. He is reportedly a polio worker. Azam was returning from a bank in the Surjani Town police station area when three armed robbers intercepted him, stealing his money at gunpoint.

Azam pursued the robbers to the SITE Superhighway, where an exchange of gunfire ensued, resulting in his injury. He was immediately transported to the hospital for treatment.

The police have arrested suspect Muhammad Rashid, son of Hakeem, while efforts are ongoing to capture the remaining suspects.

tribune.com.pk

Polio worker injured in Karachi shooting | The Express Tribune

One suspect arrested with weapons and a motorcycle recovered, while two accomplices managed to escape
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
NEOC chief calls for efforts to eradicate poliovirus

The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) coordinator has stressed the need to launch effective anti-polio campaigns and improve routine immunisation to eradicate the poliovirus.

“Only three to four effective anti-polio campaigns are required to eliminate the virus fully,” Anwarul Haq, a retired army captain, said while chairing a high-level meeting at the Zhob commissioner’s office on Saturday.

Mr Haq acknowledged that the current year’s situation was worse than last year, with environmental samples testing positive for the virus five times more frequently.

However, he reassured that efforts to eradicate polio remain “steadfast and determined”.

The meeting was attended by Provincial EOC Coordinator for Balochistan Inamul Haq Qureshi, Zhob Deputy Commissioner Mehboob Ahmed Achakzai, Technical Focal Person from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Dr Najeebullah Marwat, among others.

During the briefing on a recent polio case in Sohrab Goth, Zhob, and ongoing polio eradication efforts, Mr Haq emphasised the importance of improving the quality of the anti-polio campaign. He noted that even minor negligence could lead to new polio cases, and improved routine immunisation is crucial for preventing the virus’s resurgence.

Three additional polio vaccination campaigns are planned for this year in September, November and December. He also praised Afghanistan’s anti-polio measures and mentioned efforts to synchronise upcoming campaigns with Afghan authorities.

Mr Haq acknowledged the unique challenges faced by Balochistan, including cultural barriers, adverse conditions, and a dispersed population. He assured that all resources would be utilised to ensure polio eradication in the region.

He stressed that children suffer from polio only when they are missed during vaccination due to negligence.

He urged parents to ensure their children receive polio drops to prevent lifelong disability and burdens.

DAWN
 
PM Shehbaz orders to ensure availability of polio vaccine in security risk areas

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressing concern over Pakistan being one of the two countries in the world facing the challenge of polio, directing the authorities concerned to ensure the availability of polio vaccine in security risk areas.

The prime minister, in a meeting with a polio eradication team, said every child should be administered polio vaccine in the areas facing security challenge.

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan made a significant headway in polio eradication consequent to the dedication of the frontline workers, determination of the government and cooperation by the partners.

In a briefing to the prime minister about the polio eradication, he was apprised of two, four and six-month plans.

It was told that nine polio cases had been reported in 2024 and that countrywide polio vaccination drives would be launched in September, October and December this year.

The prime minister was told that the data of the children missed from polio vaccination had been digitised to ensure their vaccination through digital tracking.

Coordinator to Prime Minister on National Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Dr Ayesha Raza Farooq, Secretary National Health Dr Nadeem Mehboon and National Coordinator on Polio Eradication Muhammad Anwarul Haq attended the meeting.

Earlier on July 20, Pakistan reported ninth cases of polio in 2024. The polio virus was detected in 18-month-old boy in the Zhob district of Balochistan.

PM’s Coordinator on Health Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed said that the genetic testing of the virus is still underway.

He confirmed that so far nine children in the country have been affected by polio in the current, with seven cases reported only from Balochistan.


ARY News
 
Border district Qila Abdullah reports fifth polio case this year

A fifth case of polio has been reported from a district near the Afghan border, taking the number of polio victims detected in Balochistan to 10, out of a total of 13 reported from across Pakistan this year.

The latest victim is an 11-month-old infant from Qila Abdullah who has been paralysed by the wild poliovirus. The case highlights the persistent threat of polio and the urgency for communities to ensure polio vaccination of all under-five children living among them.

In addition to the five cases reported from Qila Abdullah district, the other five cases of Balochistan have been found in Chaman, Quetta, Zhob, Dera Bugti and Jhal Magsi, whereas three cases — two from Sindh and one from Punjab — have been confirmed from the rest of the country.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, who met Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and some senior officials last week, said the provincial government was dealing with the situation on an emergency footing and was strategising to curb the poliovirus spread. According to her, Balochistan was facing the brunt of a poliovirus outbreak in Chaman, Qilla Abdullah and Quetta.

The persistent detection of cases from Qilla Abdullah highlighted the need for urgent action and relentless vigilance, said Anwarul Haq, the coordinator for national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). He said the Balochistan EOC and health department, with complete support from the federal teams, were “on the frontlines against this outbreak”.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, and the Balochistan EOC confirmed that the latest victim of poliovirus was an 11-month-old boy from the Jungle Camp area of Qila Abdullah who developed symptoms of paralysis on July 17.

Coordinator to the PM on National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Bharat said protecting children from the crippling virus was the government’s priority. “We are working with the provincial government to redouble our efforts to strengthen immunisation in the province and build children’s immunity against polio,” he said.

At this critical juncture, the Polio Programme’s National Polio Management Team is also meeting this week as preparations escalate ahead of the next polio campaign planned for September. Over the past few weeks, the polio programme has conducted an extensive self-critical assessment in consultation with all provinces and is in the process of implementing a roadmap to interrupt virus transmission, particularly in high-risk districts.

“Poliovirus is extremely smart in showing our gaps, where we have missed children through campaigns and routine immunisation. We are re-grouping efforts and momentum with our provincial colleagues to urgently plug these gaps to curb further spread of the virus,” said Ms Farooq, PM’s focal person on polio eradication.

DAWN NEWS
 
Pakistan reports 14th polio case of 2024

Another polio case emerged in Pakistan as a 20-month-old boy has been confirmed to be infected with the virus, ARY News reported citing the National Institute of Health (NIH) sources.

The sources said that the affected child belonged to the Kila Saifullah district of Balochistan.

This is the 14th polio case that has been reported in Pakistan so far this year out of which 11 emerged from Balochistan alone.

The child is affected with Wild Polio Virus Type 1 and he showed polio symptoms on July 22. The National Institute of Health sources said that the genetic relationship of the polio virus in the affected child is being investigated.

It is pertinent to mention here that 11 polio cases have been reported from Balochistan, two from Sindh, and one from Punjab this year.

Earlier, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, has confirmed the detection of the virus in an environmental sample from nine districts, taking the total number of districts with virus presence to 52 so far this year.

In the first seven months, nine children have also been infected by the crippling disease.

An official of the polio programme said environmental samples collected from Dadu, Hyderabad, Karachi South, Karachi Central, Karachi West, Quetta, Loralai, Rawalpindi and Islamabad contained WPV1.

arynews.tv

Pakistan reports 14th polio case of 2024

Another polio case emerged in Pakistan as a 20-month-old boy has been confirmed to have been infected with the virus
arynews.tv
 
29-month girl tests positive for polio virus in Hyderabad

A polio case has surfaced in the city as a 29-month girl is found diagnosed with polio virus after her reports returned from Islamabad with the conformation of the presence of virus in her samples.

The infant from Liaquat Colony fell ill with loss of weight day by day. On suspicion, her samples were sent to a laboratory in Islamabad, which found polio virus in her samples.

Hyderabad District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Lala Jafar reported that the girl's samples were sent to Islamabad after suspicion of polio. The Islamabad laboratory confirmed the presence of the virus.

The DHO stated that the girl, Muneeza Zubair, had completed all her polio vaccinations, including the required drops.

However, she is currently suffering from malnutrition, and health officials are monitoring the situation closely.


Dunya News
 
Polio cases surge in Balochistan linked to fake vaccinations

The sudden rise in polio cases in Balochistan has been attributed to a disturbing revelation that children are being falsely marked as vaccinated without receiving the actual polio drops, ARY News reported on Friday.

This malpractice, coupled with other significant challenges, has led to the reemergence of the polio virus in the region after 28-months.

In a briefing to senior journalists, officials from Balochistan’s Emergency Operation Center for anti-polio efforts disclosed that in sensitive areas such as Quetta, Pishin, Chaman, and Qila Abdullah, polio workers have been caught marking children’s fingers as if they had been vaccinated, without actually administering the drops.

This year alone, 12 polio cases have been reported in Balochistan, with the first 8 months seeing a surge.

Alarmingly, three of the children affected by the virus have died, raising concerns that the polio virus could be the cause of their deaths.

Experts and authorities are also highlighting additional challenges, including the inaccessibility of polio teams in certain areas due to security concerns, issues with transportation along the Pak-Afghan border, and difficulties in ensuring that all children are vaccinated.

It is worth mention here that the deadly virus has now spread to 20 districts across Balochistan.

In response to the situation, the Emergency Operation Center is revising its strategy to better tackle these challenges.


ARY News
 
Pakistan to begin countrywide polio eradication campaign on Sept 9

A nationwide anti-polio campaign is set to kick off tomorrow (Monday), aiming to vaccinate more than 30 million children aged five and under, as reported by state broadcaster Radio Pakistan on Sunday.

In preparation for this campaign, various district administrations in Sindh have initiated week-long polio vaccination drives, targeting approximately 9.4 million children in 30 districts across the province.

So far this year, Pakistan has reported 17 polio cases, with three of them originating from Sindh. The situation is further complicated by the detection of positive environmental samples in the province, indicating ongoing virus circulation.

Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, remains one of the last two countries where polio is still endemic. Despite global efforts to eliminate the virus, challenges such as security concerns, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation continue to hinder progress.


english.aaj.tv

Pakistan to begin countrywide polio eradication campaign on Sept 9

Over 30m children aged five and under will be targeted during five-day campaign
english.aaj.tv
 
Polio vaccination team tortured in Rawalpindi

A female polio vaccination team of the Punjab health department was tortured and deprived of her belongings, including polio vaccination and cash allegedly by a group of employees of Cantonment Board Chaklala who were booked by the police on the complaint of the victim.

She alleged in the FIR that in addition to torturing female staff, they also abused and threatened her male staff members.

Khadija Bibi, lodged an FIR with the Civil Lines police, saying that they were Punjab government health department employees and were performing the duty of giving polio drops and after their duty, they returned to Chaklala Cantonment Medical Center in Dehri Hassanabad.

She said on reaching the medical centre, as many as 40 employees of Cantonment Board Chaklala broke into a store room which was allocated to the health team and took away their belongings, including polio vaccine and a bag containing Rs15,000 cash and medicines of her child.

She further alleged in the FIR that as she walked inside to bring medicine, they misbehaved with her, slapped and pushed her away.

Later, she said that they took away all of their belongings. male staff who were also accompanying them were also abused and beaten by them.

She pleaded with the police to take legal action against the accused and recover their goods taken by them.

DAWN NEWS
 
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reports first polio case of 2024

A nine-month-old girl has been diagnosed with polio in the Safi Tehsil of Mohmand district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department confirmed that the first polio case was reported in the province in 2024, taking Pakistan’s toll to 20 this year

According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department, the affected baby had only received 2 polio doses.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur ordered the suspension of the relevant District Health Officer (DHO) and EPI Coordinator over their ‘negligence’

Earlier on September 18, Pakistan reported another polio case as a two-year-old Quetta boy has been confirmed to be infected with the virus, ARY News reported citing the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) for polio sources.

According to NEOC sources, this is the 18th polio case that has been reported in Pakistan so far this year out of which 14 emerged from Balochistan alone.



arynews.tv

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reports first polio case of 2024

PESHAWAR: A nine-month-old girl has been diagnosed with polio in the Safi Tehsil of Mohmand district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported. The Khyber
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Pakistan reports 22nd polio case of 2024

The number of polio cases in Pakistan reached 22 this year after the latest case was reported from Pishin, a district of Balochistan, ARY News reported citing sources.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed that another polio case is reported in Pakistan, bringing the total number of cases this year to 22.

The National Polio Testing Laboratory has also verified after determining that the new case is caused by the wild poliovirus type 1, medical experts say. The affected patient is a child of two and a half years old and genetic testing of the polio virus is currently underway to determine its origin and relation to other cases.

According to NIH, this year, Balochistan has reported the highest number of polio cases, with 15 confirmed incidents. Sindh has reported four cases, Punjab one, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa one, and Islamabad one.


arynews.tv

Pakistan reports 22nd polio case of 2024

ISLAMABAD: The number of polio cases in Pakistan reached 22 this year after the latest case was reported from Pishin, a district of Balochistan, ARY News
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Bill Gates lauds PM's oversight of polio vaccination efforts

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Pakistan's unwavering commitment to ensure complete eradication of polio from the country.

He highlighted this resolve of the country during his meeting with Bill Gates, the founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Recalling Bill Gates' recent visit to Pakistan in June this year, the prime minister thanked him for the invitation to visit the Gates Foundation in Seattle in December 2024.

He also appreciated the Gates Foundation's engagement and support to Pakistan on polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunisation, digitisation, and financial inclusion.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its longstanding support in this effort and underscored the need for sustained efforts and supports to Pakistan.

Acknowledging Pakistan's efforts, Bill Gates stressed polio eradication is vital to protect its future generations from this crippling disease. He appreciated the prime minister's personal supervision and engagement of the provincial governments in the polio vaccine program across the country.

Bill Gates shared updates on a comprehensive Health Dialogue with Afghanistan and requested support for the initiative. He also communicated his willingness to focus more on the pockets where the number of missed children or refusal of polio vaccines is higher, especially where the morbidity of children is greater.

He also apprised the prime minister about his foundation's work on nutrition especially the micronutrients for pregnant women and how it can be increased by providing them additional vitamins in support of UNICEF.

The prime minister complimented the Gates Foundation for its Polio campaign in Gaza, given the challenges there and the plight of children. He emphasised on immediate ceasefire and the resolution of the conflict as per the UN Resolutions.

Shehbaz Sharif also complimented Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for being a trusted ally in Pakistan's socio-economic development and expressed interest in broadening collaboration in areas such as information technology, STEM education, agriculture, and livestock.


dunyanews.tv

Bill Gates lauds PM's oversight of polio vaccination efforts

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Bill Gates on the sidelines of UNGA sessions
dunyanews.tv dunyanews.tv
 

Tally rises to 23 as another polio case surfaces in KP​

ISLAMABAD: A new polio case has been found in Kohat, bringing to 23 the tally of polio cases found to date this year in the country despite repeated countrywide campaigns against the crippling disease.

Of the 23 cases, 15 have been found in Balochistan, 4 in Sindh, 2 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.

According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication of the National Institute of Health (NIH), the new case has been found in Kohat, KP, where a 10-month-old child has become paralysed, marking the second case in the province and 23rd in the country this year, highlighting the constant threat of poliovirus spread to children nationwide.

A polio expert, wishing not to be quoted, told Dawn that it was a testing time for the new leadership as the widespread immunity gap in the country would lead to more cases in the next couple of months despite a lot of hard work on the ground.

“Perhaps our media colleagues will also need to explain how the immunity and epidemiology cycles play in vaccine-preventable diseases like polio. The extraordinary hard work of 2020-21 gave us a 15-month period with no polio case. Afterwards, there were new challenges and programme lapses in south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to begin with during 2021-22 season that prompted outbreak in south KP with 20 cases.

“The programme, unfortunately, didn’t wake up and complacency spread still further to rest of the country during 2022-23 letting the current surge from mid-2023,” he said.

“The current immunity gap at present is huge and widespread as depicted by 23 cases and 336 environmental sample (ES) detections this year so far and many more are likely to follow in the next quarter.

The expert said that the media has a critical role to play for educating the masses that the current risk is real.

“Parents must fulfil their religious and social responsibility to ensure that their own children as well those around them are fully protected through up-to-date routine immunisation as well as receiving oral polio vaccine (OPV) administered in upcoming door-to-door campaigns,” he said.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, in a statement, reiterated the importance of repeated polio vaccination to protect children from the crippling virus.

“It is devastating that too many children are suffering the consequences of missed vaccination opportunities. Polio is a terrible disease that alters a child’s life forever, snatching the chance to live up to their full potential,” she said.

Urging parents, caregivers and communities to collectively take responsibility for the well-being of all children around them, she said: “Poliovirus is in your area and the consequences of a polio infection for children are devastating and irreversible. The only means to protect them is to ensure that all children under the age of five in your home and communities are vaccinated with multiple doses of oral polio vaccine and have completed their routine immunisation doses.”

Consistent implementation of polio campaigns in KP has faced challenges in recent months due to several factors like persistent population movement — internal and cross-border, insecurity, community mistrust, demands-based boycotts and disruptions to access to children in polio high-risk areas.

Kohat has reported four positive environmental samples this year, while its neighbouring district of Peshawar has reported positive sewage samples for nearly a year now, indicating that the virus is silently spreading in the region and putting children at risk from a preventable disease.

NEOC Coordinator Muhammad Anwarul Haq said that the polio programme was committed to identifying the gaps and challenges that were hampering progress and to address them.

“The virus has been showing immunity gaps and where we have missed children in the past. It is imperative for us to close these immunity gaps. Let’s unite against polio as a nation,” he said.

Source: DAWN
 
This is very concerning. 23 is a big number and there are cases in every province.
 
Pakistan reports 33rd polio case of 2024

Pakistan reported another polio case of 2024, taking the toll to 33 this year as a child from Quetta has been diagnosed with the virus, ARY News reported.

According to details, the affected child showed symptoms of polio on August 22. Quetta city has reported three polio cases, with 37 sewerage samples testing positive for the virus.

Additionally, 11 polio cases and 65 positive sewerage samples have been reported from the Quetta block.

This is the 33rd case to be reported from Pakistan in 2024 as Balochistan turned out to be most affected with 17 cases.


arynews.tv

Pakistan reports 33rd polio case of 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported another polio case of 2024, taking the toll to 33 this year as a child from Quetta has been diagnosed with the virus, ARY
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Three new polio cases reported in Balochistan

Three new polio cases has been reported in Balochistan, bringing the total number of 20 cases this year in the province, ARY News reported on Friday.

The Health Department of Balochistan confirmed the three new polio cases from the districts of Chaman, Pishin, and Nushki area of Balochistan.

The affected children include a nine-month-old from Chaman, an 18-month-old from Pishin, and a five-year-old from Noshki, all of whom have been left disabled due to the disease, according to health department sources.

This recent surge has brought the nationwide total of polio cases in Pakistan to 37 in 2024, raising concerns over the ongoing struggle to eradicate polio from the country.

Health authorities are intensifying efforts to combat the virus and protect vulnerable children.


arynews.tv

Three new polio cases reported in Balochistan

QUETTA: Three new polio cases has been reported in Balochistan, bringing the total number of 20 cases this year in the province, ARY News reported on
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 

Polio cases surge in Pakistan​


Health authorities in Pakistan say they have confirmed six more cases of polio, taking the number of infected children to 39 this year.

The new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) included three in Balochistan, two in Sindh province and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Polio, an infectious disease that causes crippling paralysis among young children, has been virtually eliminated globally after decades-long vaccination drives.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last remaining countries where it is still endemic. There is no cure for the disease, and paralysis caused by an infection is irreversible.

“This should be a wake-up call for all parents and communities,” Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, said recently.

“Every paralytic polio case means there are hundreds of children who are silently affected by poliovirus and are potentially carrying and spreading it throughout their communities,” she added.

This year, 20 cases have been detected in Balochistan, the worst affected province in Pakistan. It is followed by Sindh province with 12 cases. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has registered five, while Punjab and Islamabad reported one each.

“The continuous movement of populations, security challenges in high-risk areas, and persistent vaccine hesitancy all contribute to the persistence of the virus,” Melissa Corkum, the chief of Unicef polio team in Pakistan, told the BBC.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed at least 18 polio cases in neighbouring Afghanistan this year, most of them in the south of the country.

Pakistan is launching a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on 28 October to vaccinate more than 45 million children under the age of five against paralytic polio.

Prior to the latest surge in infections, Pakistan - and its population of more than 240 million - was on the verge of eradicating the disease.

The country recorded only six cases in 2023, after 20 in 2022 and just one in 2021.

Health authorities say they face a number of challenges in convincing people to vaccinate their children.

Hardline clerics and militants have campaigned against vaccination, falsely claiming it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslims. As a result, many communities avoid getting inoculated.

In recent years, several polio vaccinators and security officials who accompany them have come under attack by militants. At least 15 people, mostly police officers, have been killed and dozens injured this year during vaccination campaigns.

“Security concerns have, in the past, resulted in delayed or fragmented campaigns, leading to missed opportunities for immunisation and leaving children vulnerable,” Ms Corkum, the Unicef official said.

www.bbc.com

Polio cases surge in Pakistan ahead of vaccination campaign

Prior to the latest surge in infections, Pakistan was on the verge of eradicating the disease.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
A million children in Pakistan miss polio vaccine shots as cases spike

Polio is once again spreading in Pakistan, where officials say more than 1 million children missed their vaccination doses last month, underscoring the challenges they face in eradicating one of the world’s most intractable diseases.

Pakistani officials reported more than a dozen new polio cases in October, bringing the total number of infections this year to 39, compared to just six last year when the South Asian country appeared to be on the verge of eliminating the virus.

Ayesha Raza, the Focal Person to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Polio Eradication, blamed the recent uptick in cases on low vaccine uptake. She said about 1 million children missed their polio vaccinations in September, compounding a pre-existing immunity gap that has been growing since Covid-19 disrupted immunization efforts.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under age 5. It attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis, respiratory issues and even death.

It spreads mainly through contaminated water or food and there is no cure. But it can be prevented with a vaccine: polio cases worldwide have been reduced by more than 99% since the 1980s thanks to immunization campaigns.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), though the United Nations health agency has also recently warned of a resurgence of the deadly disease in Gaza following more than a year of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave.


 
Cricket Warrior said:
A million children in Pakistan miss polio vaccine shots as cases spike

Polio is once again spreading in Pakistan, where officials say more than 1 million children missed their vaccination doses last month, underscoring the challenges they face in eradicating one of the world’s most intractable diseases.

Pakistani officials reported more than a dozen new polio cases in October, bringing the total number of infections this year to 39, compared to just six last year when the South Asian country appeared to be on the verge of eliminating the virus.

Ayesha Raza, the Focal Person to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Polio Eradication, blamed the recent uptick in cases on low vaccine uptake. She said about 1 million children missed their polio vaccinations in September, compounding a pre-existing immunity gap that has been growing since Covid-19 disrupted immunization efforts.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under age 5. It attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis, respiratory issues and even death.

It spreads mainly through contaminated water or food and there is no cure. But it can be prevented with a vaccine: polio cases worldwide have been reduced by more than 99% since the 1980s thanks to immunization campaigns.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), though the United Nations health agency has also recently warned of a resurgence of the deadly disease in Gaza following more than a year of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave.


Click to expand...
This is unacceptable. Hold the local gov folks accountable. Polio should have already been eradicated.
 
Pakistan reports 40th polio case of 2024

Pakistan reported another polio case as a child from Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been confirmed to be affected with the virus, ARY News reported citing National Institutes of Health (NIH) sources.

A two-and-a-half-year-old child belonged to Dara Adamkhel has been affected with Type-I of the poliovirus, the NIH sources said.

This is Kohat’s second instance of polio this year; earlier this month, another district child was found to have contracted the virus.

Four sewage samples taken from Kohat have been found to contain poliovirus.

It may be noted here that this is the 40th case of polio reported from Pakistan in 2024 as earlier on October 19 two new polio cases were reported from Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts of Sindh province.


arynews.tv

Pakistan reports 40th polio case of 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported another polio case as a child from Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been confirmed to be affected with the virus, ARY
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Pakistan's renewed polio fight

Three decades into the global efforts to eradicate it, the wild poliovirus (WPV) remains an ever-present threat to Pakistani children. This year, 39 children are affected, and the virus has been detected from over 400 sewage samples infecting 71 districts.

The current intensity of virus circulation poses a serious threat to our children’s well-being nationwide.

Marked with many sacrifices, the country’s journey towards zero polio has been quite tortuous. There have been times when we seemed really close to polio eradication — once in 2017, when we had eight cases, and again in 2021, when only one child was affected. When 15 months went by without any case in 2021-22, disease elimination looked very probable.

Nevertheless, the cunning virus managed to survive, causing a localised outbreak in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2022.

The current virus surge started in the second half of 2023 after reintroduction of a virus cluster circulating across the border in Afghanistan.

The frequency of environmental isolations kept increasing, re-infecting all three traditional core reservoirs of Karachi, Quetta block and Peshawar-Khyber that serve as 'engines of transmission' hosting, multiplying and efficiently exporting the virus to the rest of Pakistan.

Thereon, the intensity of circulation has kept increasing with a dramatic rise in 2024.



www.geo.tv

Pakistan's renewed polio fight

Three decades into the global efforts to eradicate it, the wild poliovirus remains an ever-present threat to Pakistani children. This year, 39 children are affected, and the virus has been detected from over 400 sewage samples infecting 71...
www.geo.tv www.geo.tv
 
Policeman guarding polio team shot dead in KP’s Orakzai

A policeman guarding a polio vaccination team was shot dead by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district on Tuesday, following which two attackers were also killed, police said.

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.

Malik Sikandar, a senior police officer in Orakzai, told AFP: “Two militants attacked a policeman guarding a polio vaccination team.

“The policeman died at the scene. A police team later chased down and killed two attackers and their local facilitator,” he added.

Another police official, Naveedullah Khan, confirmed the fatality and told AFP that two vaccination workers on the team “were inside the home during the attack and remained safe”.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in KP, which has long been a hive of militant activity.

Pakistan has seen a surge in polio cases this year, recording 41 so far in 2024 compared with six in 2023.

Polio vaccination teams, made up of health workers and police guards, have often come under attack in the restive and mountainous regions bordering Afghanistan.

Last month, dozens of policemen, who accompany medical teams during door-to-door campaigns, went on strike in the Bannu district after a string of militant attacks targeting them.

Prior to the strike, a police officer and a polio worker had been shot dead in Bajaur district’s Salarzai tehsil when unknown assailants attacked a polio vaccination team.

Scores of polio vaccination workers and their escorts have been killed over the years. Since 2012, 126 persons have been killed and 201 injured in attacks targeting healthcare workers and officials of the polio programme, according to a Dawn report published last month.

In one of the most high-profile attacks, Dr Abdul Rehman, a polio programme official, was killed in Bajaur earlier this year.

Pockets of Pakistan’s border regions remain resistant to inoculation as a result of misinformation, conspiracy theories and some firebrand clerics declaring the jabs un-Islamic.

Opposition grew after the US Central Intelligence Agency organised a fake vaccination drive to help track down Al-Qaeda’s former leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

DAWN NEWS
 
With two more polio cases from KP, year’s tally increases to 45

Two more cases of poliovirus have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat districts. So far this year, 45 cases of the crippling disease have been reported from across the country.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases. The victims include a 34-month-old girl in Lakki Marwat and a two-year-old child in D.I. Khan.

The genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway, a lab official said.

The cases have been reported at a time when a nationwide vaccination campaign is ongoing to immunise over 45 million children under five years.

Both districts had previously reported one case of poliovirus each. Environmental samples collected from these areas have also tested positive for the presence of the virus, as per the official.

So far, 22 polio cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, nine from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

In light of the rising number of cases, the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments have decided to form a joint strategy for eradicating the virus.

Other than the reported case, WPV1 has been detected in 76 districts from all four provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, indicating widespread circulation of the virus and a continued serious risk to children’s well-being, according to officials.

Earlier on Friday, the testing of environmental samples showed that the poliovirus had reached two new districts, Noshki, Balochistan, and Mianwali, Punjab, which had so far remained unaffected by the virus.

According to experts, a sewage water sample taken from an area is the basic parameter to determine if polio vaccination campaigns are being carried out successfully. The presence of the virus in sewage water also shows that the immunity level of local children has fallen, and they are at risk of the disease.

DAWN NEWS
 
Year’s 46th polio case reported

The 46th case of poliovirus this year has been reported from Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in a male child, an official of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad told Dawn.

This is the second case of poliovirus from Qila Saifullah this year. So far, 23 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, nine from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

“The genetic sequencing of the sample collected from the child is underway,” the official added.

The case from Qila Saifullah has been reported after several sewage samples collected from the area tested positive for the presence of WPV1.

Positive sewage samples and reported cases are the two indicators of the virus presence in an area.

Last week, the virus presence was detected in two new districts — Noshki, Balochistan, and Mianwali, Punjab — which had so far remained unaffected by the virus.

“Balochistan is the most affected province this year,” he said, adding the vaccination campaign in the province faced multiple challenges in previous months due to protests and militant attacks.

“This high number of cases is indicative of the harm that children suffer from missed vaccination opportunities,” he said.

So far in November, three new cases of poliovirus have been reported from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

DAWN NEWS
 
Pakistan reports another polio case from Balochistan

Pakistan reported another polio case as Balochistan’s polio cases reached 24 in the ongoing year, ARY News reported.

As per details, this is the 24th polio case reported from Jafarabad this year, highlighting concerns about the ongoing transmission of the virus in the region.

It’s worth mentioning here that the recent rise in polio cases in Pakistan has sparked concerns for international organizations.

According to sources, the international organization has called on Pakistan to implement emergency measures.

Sources revealed that Pakistan has assured the international organizations of taking swift action to control polio.

Furthermore, these organizations who work to combat the polio virus likely to visit Pakistan later this month.


arynews.tv

Pakistan reports another polio case from Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported another polio case as Balochistan's polio cases reached 24 in the ongoing year, ARY News reported. As per details, this is
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
2 more KP polio cases take Pakistan’s 2024 tally to 52

Two more polio cases were confirmed to be detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, taking the country’s tally for the current year to 52.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases.

The lab confirmed the cases from DI Khan where a boy and a girl were affected.

It said genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children was underway.

DI Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern KP, has now reported five polio cases this year.

Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

On Tuesday, the year’s 50th polio case was reported from KP’s Tank district.

Last week, the year’s 49th case was reported from Balochistan’s Jaffarabad district in a 15-month-old male child.

Earlier this month, health officials insisted that unvaccinated children were hindering the progress of the government’s fight against polio in KP.

They told Dawn that in the last door-to-door anti-polio campaign from October 28 to November 3, the vaccinators missed only 1.5 per cent of the targeted children in the province due to parental refusal or the children’s unavailability at home.

The officials said of the total of 6.38 million targeted children in 30 districts, 78,355 missed polio vaccines due to their absence from home during the anti-polio teams’ visit, while 17,479 didn’t receive the vaccine due to refusal or reluctance of their parents.

They said that the numbers were a cause of concern as the polio eradication programme was meant to inoculate all eligible populations to eliminate the vaccine-preventable childhood ailment.

www.dawn.com

2 more KP polio cases take Pakistan’s 2024 tally to 52

Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirms boy and girl affected in DI Khan, says genetic sequencing under way.
www.dawn.com
 
Another polio case in KP takes this year tally to 56

Pakistan reported a fresh case of poliovirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan, taking the total number of cases this year to 56, said the health department on Wednesday.

A 27-month-old child was diagnosed with poliovirus in DI Khan's Drazanda tehsil. A total of seven children have been affected in the district.

According to the officials, several children have been crippled by the virus as the "perilous security situation" affecting the anti-polio drive in southern part of the province.

Meanwhile, the department said that this was the 15th polio case reported in KP.

Last week, two cases of poliovirus were reported in Balochistan while another was reported in KP.

Balochistan has reported the highest number of poliovirus cases in 2024 followed by KP. Sindh has reported 13 cases, whereas Punjab and Islamabad have each reported one case of polio this year.

The fresh cases come as Pakistan remains one of the last two countries in the world where the wild poliovirus continues to spread.

This persistence is largely attributed to obstacles such as insecurity, misinformation, and community reluctance, which hinder vaccination efforts.

The highly contagious viral disease predominantly affects children under five, particularly those with weak immunity or inadequate vaccination.

Health authorities have time and again underscored the importance of vaccination campaigns to curb the spread of this preventable disease, which remains a significant public health challenge in the country.


www.geo.tv

Another polio case in KP takes this year tally to 56

27-month-old child diagnosed with virus. Another case reported in KP's DI Khan. New case takes KP's total tally to 15. Pakistan reported a fresh case of poliovirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan, taking the...
www.geo.tv www.geo.tv
 
Three more polio cases take tally to 59

Polio cases continue to rise as the country reported three new cases on Monday, bringing the tally so far this year to 59.

According to an official, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed the detection of one case each of poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Dera Ismail Khan, Karachi and Kashmore.

“The genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children shows that they are genetically linked to the same WPV1 virus genetic cluster,” the official said.

D.I. Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has now reported eight polio cases.

Of the 59 cases reported so far this year, 26 are from Balochistan, 16 from KP, 15 from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

The Pakistan Polio Programme conducts multiple mass vaccination drives annually, delivering the vaccine directly to children at their doorsteps.

Additionally, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation offers vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.

The next mass vaccination campaign is scheduled for mid-December, aiming to reach over 44 million children with the vaccine. Given the ongoing polio outbreak, it is crucial for parents to ensure that all their children under the age of five are vaccinated to protect them from the disease.

DAWN NEWS
 
Pakistan reports four polio cases in 24 hours

Pakistan has reported four more polio cases in last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 63 in 2024, ARY News reported.

According to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, the newly reported cases emerged from Dera Ismail Khan, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Tank.

The NEOC confirmed that three case were reported in girls where one boy was affected by the deadly virus from Sukkur.

Health authorities continue their efforts to combat the spread of the virus through vaccination campaigns and public awareness initiatives.

It’s worth mentioning here that the recent rise in polio cases in Pakistan has sparked concerns for international organizations.


arynews.tv

Pakistan reports four polio cases in 24 hours

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported four more polio cases in last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 63 in 2024, ARY News reported. According to
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Govt launches last polio campaign of 2024 amid uptick in cases

The last anti-polio campaign of 2024 is set to begin tomorrow across 143 districts in the country, focusing on addressing the alarming rise in polio cases and ensuring maximum immunisation coverage, the government announced on Sunday.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic, with the disease mostly affecting children under five, and sometimes causing lifelong paralysis.

Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

This development comes as the tally of polio cases nationwide rose to 63. The virus has been detected in eight more districts, bringing the affected districts to 83 this year. The virus has also reached the previously uninfected district of Charsada in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking via a pre-recorded message, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq said today the “last anti-polio campaign of the year 2024 is being launched from December 16.”

An accompanying statement from the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said that the campaign would continue “in 143 specific districts of the country from December 16 to 22.”

The statement added that more than 44 million children will be vaccinated against polio in this campaign.

“As a mother, I appeal to you to open your doors to polio workers,” Farooq said in her statement, adding that the polio vaccine is completely safe, effective, and provided free of charge.

She said that for immunisation to protect against polio and other deadly diseases, it was essential to complete the course of vaccinations.

She also paid tribute to the frontline polio workers serving in difficult conditions, adding, “our frontline workers are the real heroes in the ongoing struggle against polio.”

Of the 63 cases reported so far this year, 26 were from Balochistan, 18 from KP, 17 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Poliovirus spreads in the warm season and becomes less active in the cold season. The period from May to September is called high transmission season for the virus.

This is the fourth nationwide polio vaccination campaign to be conducted this year with the preceding one being inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on October 25.

The campaign was scheduled for Oct 28 to Nov 3 and aimed to vaccinate a total of 45.4 million under-five children.

There have been district-specific campaigns as well in the preceding months.

DAWN NEWS
 
Polio cases confirmed in eight districts of Pakistan

The spread of polio in Pakistan is increasing rapidly, with cases now confirmed in eight districts, according to ARY News.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed that wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was found in sewage samples from Dera Ismail Khan, Charsadda, Rawalpindi, Qambar, Jamshoro, Killa Saifullah, Barkhan, and Mastung.

So far this year, 63 polio cases have been reported nationwide. Balochistan recorded the highest number with 26 cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 18, Sindh with 17, and one case each in Punjab and Islamabad.

For the first time this year, Charsadda has reported a positive sewage sample for the virus. The growing presence of polio has raised serious concerns about a potential outbreak, posing a major risk to children across the country.


arynews.tv

Polio cases confirmed in eight districts of Pakistan

The spread of polio in Pakistan is increasing rapidly, with cases now confirmed in eight districts, according to ARY News. The National Institute of
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Militants kill policeman guarding polio vaccination team in Karak

Militants shot a policeman guarding polio vaccinators in the Shakar Khel area of Banda Daud Shah tehsil in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, police said, the day after health workers launched a nationwide campaign against the resurgent disease.

Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic and the vaccination teams frequently come under attack by militants targeting security forces.

"The attack resulted in the death of the police officer at the scene, while one polio worker was injured," a senior police official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

The police officer was travelling with two vaccinators when they were attacked by motorcyclists.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has long been a hive of militant activity, including by the Pakistani Taliban.

The polio campaign has been temporarily suspended in Shakar Khel, the village where the incident took place, but continues in other parts of the northwest province bordering Afghanistan.


dunyanews.tv

Militants kill policeman guarding polio vaccination team in Karak

The police officer was travelling with two vaccinators when they were attacked by motorcyclists.
dunyanews.tv dunyanews.tv
 
Man arrested for forcibly detaining polio worker in flat

A man was arrested from Nazimabad No. 3, Karachi, for allegedly confining a polio worker in his flat, ARY News reported.

According to reports, the conflict began when a polio worker entered the building to administer vaccines. The resident, identified as a mobile market trader, and his family refused to comply with the vaccination efforts and allegedly forcibly confined the polio worker to a room within the flat.

The situation escalated when the assistant commissioner arrived at the scene with heavy police presence after the team’s complaint.

The resident’s family argued that their child was unwell and they would administer the vaccine themselves.


arynews.tv

Man arrested for forcibly detaining polio worker in flat

KARACHI: A man was arrested from Nazimabad No. 3, Karachi, for allegedly confining a polio worker in his flat, ARY News reported. According to reports,
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Militants kill policeman guarding polio vaccination team in Karak

Militants shot a policeman guarding polio vaccinators in the Shakar Khel area of Banda Daud Shah tehsil in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, police said, the day after health workers launched a nationwide campaign against the resurgent disease.

Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic and the vaccination teams frequently come under attack by militants targeting security forces.

"The attack resulted in the death of the police officer at the scene, while one polio worker was injured," a senior police official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

The police officer was travelling with two vaccinators when they were attacked by motorcyclists.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has long been a hive of militant activity, including by the Pakistani Taliban.

The polio campaign has been temporarily suspended in Shakar Khel, the village where the incident took place, but continues in other parts of the northwest province bordering Afghanistan.


dunyanews.tv

Militants kill policeman guarding polio vaccination team in Karak

The police officer was travelling with two vaccinators when they were attacked by motorcyclists.
dunyanews.tv dunyanews.tv
Click to expand...

Killing people at a healthcare facility.

Very scummy and cowardly thing to do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Bhaag Viru Bhaag
HMPV: ICMR detects two cases of HMPV in Karnataka through routine surveillance
Replies
8
Views
297
Bhaag Viru Bhaag
Bhaag Viru Bhaag
Aang_The_last_airbender
Fierce protests as eight-year-old rape victim dies in Bangladesh
Replies
4
Views
318
Devadwal
Devadwal
Cricket Warrior
NCCIA busts German-led child sexual exploitation gang in Muzaffargarh
Replies
5
Views
358
The Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle
Bhaag Viru Bhaag
Pakistan’s economic turnaround a ‘mini-miracle’: report
Replies
5
Views
524
RexRex
RexRex
BouncerGuy
“If we stick to our process and win this series, I’m hopeful that we’ll do very well in the World Test Championship this year”: Azhar Mahmood
Replies
16
Views
425
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
Back
Top