Polio Update – Islamabad – August 22, 2024 Sewage samples from three new districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and eight previously positive districts have tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed that environmental samples collected between August 5-7 from Karak, Sujawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Zhob, Quetta, Loralai, Chaman, Pishin, Rawalpindi and Islamabad districts contained WPV1.

Poliovirus has now been detected in 62 districts of the country and affected 15 children so far this year, indicating the persistent risk of polio infection to children in these communities and across the country.

Polio is a devastating incurable disease that can leave a child paralyzed for life. Repeated vaccination with the oral polio vaccine is the best line of defense against this disease along with routine vaccination offered free of cost by the Expanded Programme on Immunization at government-run health facilities.

While the Polio Programme continues to bring the oral polio vaccine to communities at their doorsteps multiple times a year, it is also critical for parents to understand the importance of ensuring that their children receive this vaccine at every opportunity and remain protected from polio.  

The next polio campaign will take place from 9-16 September covering all key areas with polio outbreaks and those most at risk of importations from affected areas.

Note:

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.

For further information, please contact: Ms Hania Naeem, Communications Officer, NEOC,

Contact No:+923431101988

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