ISLAMABAD: Four more polio cases have been confirmed by the Polio Virology Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, taking the total number of such cases this year to 235.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services said three of the cases had been reported from Balochistan and one from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
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“Two cases have been reported from Qilla Abdullah and one case from Quetta. The case from Fata has been reported from South Waziristan,” he said.
Among the four children to have been afflicted by polio virus is 21-month-old Zahoor Ahmed, son of Juma Gul Ghabizai. He is a resident of Killi Taqiadar Panezai village, Chaman tehsil, Qilla Abdullah district.
The second child is 20-month-old Hazrat Bilal, son of Maulvi Noor Muhammad. He is a resident of Popalzai village in Qilla Abdullah tehsil.
The boy’s parents had refused to get him vaccinated against polio.
Ten-month-old Musawir, son of Abdul Nabi, has also been reported with onset of polio. The child is resident of Shabee Khel Nawa Killi village, in Quetta tehsil.
Asad Ullah, son of Naimat Ullah, also has been reported with onset of polio. He belongs to Karez Kot village, Wana tehsil, South Waziristan Agency.
According to the official, this year 151 cases have been reported from Fata, 48 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 23 from Sindh, 10 from Balochistan and three from Punjab.
“In 1998 as many as 353 cases were reported from all over the country. At that time cases reported from Fata crossed the figure of 150. Now, after 15 years, once again cases reported from Fata have crossed that mark,” he said.
This year Pakistan has already broken the 13-year-old record of 199 cases, reported in 2000.
Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2014