Islamabad, August 20, 2024 – One new case of polio has been reported from Balochistan, bringing the number of polio cases in 2024 to 15.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed poliovirus in a 23-month-old child from Kharan district of Balochistan, underscoring the constant threat the current outbreak of poliovirus is posing to children’s wellbeing.

“Balochistan is facing an intense outbreak of WPV1 following disruptions to polio vaccination campaigns last year, and vulnerable children are now suffering the consequences of missing a crucial vaccine which offers protection from this terrible disease,” said Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq.

“The virus is extremely efficient in finding those children with weak levels of immunity and showing us where we have consistently missed children, not just in polio campaigns but also for routine immunization,” she said, adding that the affected child was subsequently also diagnosed with malnutrition and, unfortunately, passed away.

She added: “Over the past few weeks, we have been gearing up for the next polio campaign working with our provincial teams to strategize on localized approaches to reach missed children and strengthen routine immunization rates. We have been very focused on identifying our weak points and working to plug these gaps ahead of the next campaign and we should soon see progress in reversing virus spread.”

The Polio Programme has conducted an extensive self-critical assessment in consultation with all provinces and is implementing a comprehensive roadmap to interrupt virus transmission, particularly in polio high-risk districts of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center, Anwarul Haq, said the Polio Programme has begun preparations for a vaccination campaign in early September to rapidly raise vaccination rates and build population immunity in the polio hotspots. This campaign is being conducted in synchronization with a polio campaign in Afghanistan to ensure enhanced immunity across the cross-border region.

“Poliovirus has been found in 59 districts so far, with the most detections in Quetta and Karachi blocs of Balochistan and Sindh. High-risk districts are a high priority for us, and we will make all efforts to ensure that no child is missed during this campaign,” he said.

This is the first case from Kharan and the 12th from Balochistan province this year, while two cases have been reported from Sindh and one from Punjab.   

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. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two remaining polio endemic countries globally.  

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