Islamabad, July 19, 2024 – A child has been paralyzed by polio in Zhob district of Balochistan, bringing the number of polio cases in 2024 to nine.

According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected in stool samples collected from a 1.5-year-old child in Union Council Hassan Zai Urban 2 in Zhob district.

The affected child developed weakness in his legs on June 28 and subsequent testing of samples collected from him were positive for WPV1. The virus isolated is genetically linked to a polio case reported from Killa Abdullah in April.

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath said that poliovirus has now affected nine children, seven of them in Balochistan alone.

“The resurgence of poliovirus in this region is highly concerning and the government is focusing on implementing high quality polio vaccination campaigns and improving routine vaccination rates to boost children’s immunity,” he added.

PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza said that the virus has been found in over 50 districts, making it a constant threat for children, particularly those with weak immunity due to missing vaccination.

“Polio has no cure, the only way to protect children is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine,” she said, urging parents to vaccinate all children under the age of five against polio.  

This is the ninth polio case of the year from Pakistan, seventh from Balochistan and first from Zhob in over four years. 

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, said the Polio Programme is focused on finding populations that may have been missed in polio campaigns and making sure that they receive the protective vaccine.

“We have already conducted six polio campaigns this year and are continuing to implement strategies to keep children protected,” he said.

Updated on July 22 to reflect result of genetic sequencing.

Note for Editor:

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free, except for the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.