ISLAMABAD: A polio case has been reported from North Waziristan, the first during the past six months.

With the confirmation of the latest case by the Polio Virology Laboratory at the National Institute of Health, the total count for this year has reached 24.

An official of the Ministry of National Health Services said the patient was a seven-month-old boy belonging to Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan.

Pakistan has been considered a hub of the crippling disease for more than a decade. Last year, 306 cases of polio were detected in the country.

Know more: 51 union councils in Balochistan declared 'high risk' for polio

This year 10 cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven from the Federally Administered Tribal Area, four from Sindh and three from Balochistan so far.

Talking to Dawn, Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar said that although a new case had been reported, it should be taken into account that the pace of emergence of such cases was slow this year.

“Because of efforts made by the health departments, it is expected that the count of polio cases will remain much lower this year as compared to last year,” she said. “We are trying to eradicate the disease but we have to be ready for a few cases because of high transmission season.”

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play