ISLAMABAD: Punjab has reported its first case of poliovirus in four years, marking a significant setback in the province’s fight against the crippling disease. The last reported case in Punjab was in 2020.

An official from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication, located in the National Institute of Health (NIH), confirmed that the latest victim is a six-year-old male child from the Chakwal district.

Overall, it is the 12th reported case in Pakistan this year. Previously, nine polio cases were reported in Balochistan and two in Sindh.

Number of cases this year already doubled compared to 2023

The official said the specific cluster of the virus in the latest case had yet to be identified as its genetic sequencing is still in progress.

“The latest victim is over six years old, indicating possible immunity-related issues,” the official said. “We are currently in the eighth month of the year and have already doubled last year’s total of six cases. This suggests that the polio situation in the country is worsening.”

“Now the only good news is that not a single case of polio has been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

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

There is no cure for the virus, but vaccination remains the most effective protection. Each immunisation boosts a child’s defence against the virus. Repeated vaccinations have protected millions of children worldwide, enabling almost all countries to become polio-free, with Pakistan and Afghanistan remaining the only two endemic countries.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2024