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16 February 2004
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Monday
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24 Zilhaj 1424
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99 polio cases reported last year
By Our Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI, Feb 15: As many as 99 confirmed cases of polio were reported from all over the country last year, says the national surveillance report. The number of cases reported in 2003 were nine more than the preceding year.
The increase in polio cases marks the reversal of the earlier declining trend and has come as a major setback for the government and other agencies vying to make the country polio free.
A total of 2,226 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases in children below the age of 15 years were reported during 2003, out of which 99 had positive culture for wild polio virus, 2,015 were discarded as non-polio AFP, 12 were polio compatible and 100 were pending for classification.
According to the report, confirmed polio cases include 70 NSL1 and 29 NSL3 varieties. The number of districts with wild polio virus isolates was 45. The NWFP led with the highest number of cases (32), followed by Sindh (29). However, Islamabad, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir remained polio free.
Confirmed polio cases registered in the Punjab were 23 (20 NSL1 and 3 NSL3), Sindh 29 (20 NSL1 and 9 NSL3), NWFP 32 (19 NSL1 and 13 NSL3) and Balochistan 15 (11 NSL1 and 4 NSL3).
The 13 districts in the Punjab having polio virus transmission and from where confirmed incidence of polio was reported were Khanewal (1), Sahiwal (1), Kasur (1), Sheikhupura (3), Narowal (1), Lodhran (2), Multan (2), Muzaffargarh (3), Okara (3), Vehari (1), Pakpattan (2), Lahore (1) and Faisalabad (2).
In Sindh, polio virus transmission was reported in 11 districts, which were Dadu (3), Jacobabad (3), Khairpur (2), Karachi (2), Larkana (5), Nawabshah (1), Nusheroferoz (2), Shikarpur (1), Thatta (7), Badin (2) and Mirpurkhas (1).
Thirteen districts in the NWFP with polio virus transmission were Peshawar (1), Lower Dir (1), Upper Dir (1), Mardan (2), Lakki Marwat (5), North Waziristan (4), Swat (5), Bannu (1), Shangla (1), Bunir (1), Mohmand (1), Khyber (7) and Charsadda (1).
In Balochistan, polio virus transmission was reported in eight districts: Loralai (1), Pishin (1), Dera Bugti (1), Zhob (2), Killa Abdullah (6), Killa Saifullah (1), Nasirabad (1) and Kalat (2).
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