Pakistan reports third poliovirus case in 2023, raising concern

In a worrying development, Pakistan has reported its third poliovirus case of the year 2023, once again raising alarm bells about the country’s efforts to eradicate this crippling disease.

The latest case was detected in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the same region where the previous two cases were reported.

The latest victim is an unfortunate one and a half year old girl residing in Ghoda Baka Khel union council of Bannu district.

Tragically, she was left crippled due to the infection, emphasizing the devastating consequences of the disease. With this latest case, the number of children infected with polio in Pakistan during the year now stands at three, all of them from Bannu district.

Additionally, poliovirus has been found in an environmental sample from Bannu district, indicating the presence of the virus in the environment of the region.

So far, 34 such environmental samples have tested positive for poliovirus in various parts of Pakistan, federal authorities confirmed.

To combat the spread of polio, Acting Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar recently launched a five-day polio vaccination drive.

The campaign aims to reach approximately 44 million children nationwide.

Prime Minister Kakar personally inaugurated the initiative by administering oral drops of polio vaccine and vitamin A to children at the Prime Minister House.

This effort was carried out in the presence of Acting Health Minister Dr. Nadeem Jan and other senior officials.

During the launch, Prime Minister Kakar praised the dedication of the 350,000 polio workers who will be actively involved in the vaccination drive. He referred to them as the nation’s heroes for their unwavering commitment to making the anti-polio campaign a success. Prime Minister Kakar also acknowledged the valuable support of international partners in Pakistan’s ongoing battle against polio.