QUETTA – The fifth polio case in recent months has once again raised concerns over the efforts to end the contagious disease in country of over 240 million.
The latest case has been reported from Balochistan’s Qilla Abdullah, where a 18-month-old child tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).
With the fresh case, the total number of reported cases in country increased to five in 2024.
Four previous cases were reported in recent months despite multiple antipolio campaigns. In the preceding year, the country recorded six polio cases, with four originating from KP and two from Karachi.
In a recent meeting of National Task Force on Polio Eradication, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the government’s commitment eradicating polio. He also acknowledged positive progress in the polio eradication campaign in his meeting with Bill Gates.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio continues to threaten the health and well-being of children.
Shehbaz Sharif, Bill Gates discuss eradicating polio, strengthening health system in Pakistan
