Health authorities in Pakistan reported six more cases of polio!
The new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been confirmed, including three in Balochistan, two in Sindh province and one in KPK, taking the number of infected children to 39.
Polio is an infectious disease that can cause crippling paralysis among young children.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last remaining countries where the endemic still exists.
Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, Pakistan Prime Minister's focal person for polio eradication, said, “This should be a wake-up call for all parents and communities."
“Every paralytic polio case means there are hundreds of children who are silently affected by poliovirus and are potentially carrying and spreading it throughout their communities,” she further revealed.
Melissa Corkum, the chief of UNICEF polio team in Pakistan told BBC, “The continuous movement of populations, security challenges in high-risk areas, and persistent vaccine hesitancy all contribute to the persistence of the virus."
To note, Pakistan is launching a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on October 28, 2024 to vaccinate 45 million children under the age of 5.
