Islamabad, August 9, 2024 – The 14th polio case of the year has been reported from Killa Saifullah district of Balochistan, underscoring the urgency for maintaining consistent vaccination for children, especially as the country grapples with an expanding outbreak of wild poliovirus.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed a 20 months-old girl from Union Council Saddar Muslim Bagh developed paralysis in both legs on July 22 and unfortunately passed away a few days later.

This marks the first polio case since 2020 from Killa Saifullah, a district that borders Afghanistan and is located between Zhob and Pishin which have reported persistent poliovirus detections recently.    

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq said that the rise in the number of cases being reported from Balochistan is concerning but was expected given disruptions to polio campaigns since last year.

“The poliovirus is very smart in showing where there are significant immunity gaps and pointing out our problem areas. Children in Balochistan are suffering the consequences of missed vaccination opportunities of the past,” she said, adding that polio campaign implementation has suffered in recent months in the province and the Polio Programme is devising an emergency strategy to vaccinate all children in high-risk districts at the earliest through targeted health camps and vaccination activities.

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, the Coordinator of the National Emergency Center for Polio Eradication, said that 11 of this year’s 14 polio cases have been reported from Balochistan, where the intensity of poliovirus transmission remains very high.

He added that the Programme is working with the provincial team to address this outbreak and plan effective campaigns strategies that reach every child in the province with the vaccine. The polio programme is ramping up efforts towards the next large-scale house-to-house campaign in early September.

Poliovirus particularly attacks children who are malnourished and have weak immunity from being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Routine vaccinations are offered free-of-charge through the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunization at your closest healthcare center. Parents are encouraged to ensure their children’s routine vaccinations are up to date and that children under-five are vaccinated against polio at every opportunity during campaigns.

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.

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