The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, has confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) in three children from Balochistan and one child from Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The three children affected in Balochistan, include a girl child from Pishin who showed symptoms of polio on September 25, a boy from Chaman, who showed symptoms on September 28 and a boy from Noshki who showed symptoms on September 26, while the affected child in Lakki Marwat is a girl child who showed symptoms on September 29.

The total number of polio cases for this year has reached 37, including 20 from Balochistan, 10 from Sindh, five from KP, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Genetic sequencing of the cases is underway.

These are the first polio cases from Noshki and Lakki Marwat this year, and the second case from both Chaman and Pishin.

Noshki is located on the border with Afghanistan and borders Quetta and Mastung districts where environmental samples have tested positive for WPV1 in recent months, indicating virus circulation, while Lakki Marwat has also reported multiple positive environmental samples recently.

Campaign implementation in Balochistan and southern KP suffered throughout 2023 and early 2024 where campaigns were either staggered or postponed due to localized protests, insecurity and community boycotts, leaving a cohort of missed children who could sustain virus transmission.

The intense virus transmission and increase in polio cases is indicative of the harm that children suffer when they miss opportunities for vaccination.

Moreover, one positive environmental (sewage) sample has also been reported from district Multan. This is the 4^th positive environmental sample from district Multan this year.  

The Pakistan Polio Programme is launching a nationwide polio vaccination campaign from October 28 to vaccinate more than 45 million children under the age of five against paralytic polio.

It is critical for parents to open their door to vaccinators during this drive and ensure that all children in their care receive two drops of the crucial oral polio vaccine to keep them protected from the devastating effects of polio.