ISLAMABAD: Another polio case has been reported from Sindh, taking the total tally for the current year to 30, which is around four times as much for the year 2017.

According to an official of the National Institute of Health (NHS), a 48-month-old female, resident of Naushahro Feroze district, Moro tehsil and Lalia union council, has been paralysed due to the virus.

“Socioeconomic status of the child has been declared poor as the father of the child is a labourer. It has been decided to start a polio campaign in the area from March 16,” he said.

It is worth mentioning that last year 146 cases were reported, 12 cases were reported in year 2018 and only eight cases were reported in year 2017.

Provincial break-up for the current year shows that 15 cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine from Sindh, five from Balochistan and one case has been reported from Punjab.

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, his/her 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. However, 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.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2020