• The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of the 69th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2024 from the country.
  • On Tuesday, January 7, the lab confirmed a case from Tank, making it the 5th case from the district in 2024.
  • Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1, with 69 cases reported so far in 2024. Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 21 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
  • Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
  • The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Programme on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
  • The year’s first Polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to be conducted nationwide from February 3 – 9, 2025. To keep children safe, it is critical for parents to welcome vaccinators among them and bring their children forward for vaccination.
  • Note: As the date of onset of this case is 25th November 2024, therefore this case belongs to 2024 and makes the total as 69 cases for 2024.