TWO new cases of polio have been reported in Karachi, taking the total number of those affected by the disease to 160 in the country this year.

Pakistan is one of the few remaining nations living with the threat of polio and these fresh occurrences come as a blow to eradication and vaccination efforts in the greater region.

PPS is a neurological condition that can occur in up to 80pc of those who have had polio. Individuals suffering from the condition can develop increasing weakness, fatigue and muscular pain, as well as a general reduction in stamina.

In addition, those with the condition suffer from a greater sensitivity to the cold, a problem which will strike with painful effect as we enter winter.

I would like to develop a sense of responsibility in parents to give polio vaccines to their children in order to get rid of polio. The government should also take serious action against polio vaccination in Pakistan.

Hasnain Raza

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2014