Year’s first polio case reported in KP’s Lakki Marwat

Published January 19, 2020
The polio vaccine is administered to a child during an immunisation drive in Hyderabad. — Photo by Umair Ali
The polio vaccine is administered to a child during an immunisation drive in Hyderabad. — Photo by Umair Ali

The first polio virus case of the year surfaced in Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Regional Reference Laboratory (RRL) for polio eradication in Islamabad reported on Saturday.

The latest victim, a one-year-old boy, was reportedly administered the anti-polio vaccine once, but the test results from the sample obtained from the child showed he was positive for Wild Polio Virus 1.

The virus has already started showing symptoms, with both the child’s legs showing signs of paralysis, which are more pronounced in the right leg.

According to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the total number of cases in Pakistan last year stood at 136, with KP leading the tally with 92 cases, followed by Sindh at 25, Balochistan at 11 and Punjab at 8.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five. It invades the nervous system, and can cause paralysis or even death.

While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased.

Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio free. There are only two countries in the world — Pakistan and Afghanistan — where polio cases are being reported.

Pakistan remains under a polio-linked travel restriction imposed by the World Health Organisation due to which, since 2014, every person travelling abroad has to carry a polio vaccination certificate.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.