- The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of the 40th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in Pakistan.
- On Wednesday,23 Oct 2024, the lab confirmed that a child from Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been affected by WPV1.
- This is thesecond polio case from District Kohatand the 40th case from Pakistan at large this year. So far, 20 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh province, six from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
- Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the child is underway.
- Four environmental samples have tested positive for WPV1 this year, while the first case from Kohat was reported earlier in September, indicating circulation of the virus in the district.
- 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.
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