ISLAMABAD: Polio cases continue to rise as the country reported three new cases on Monday, bri­n­ging the tally so far this year to 59.

According to an official, the Regional Reference Lab­oratory for Polio Erad­i­ca­tion confirmed the detection of one case each of poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Dera Ismail Khan, Karachi and Kashmore.

“The genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children shows that they are genetically linked to the same WPV1 virus genetic cluster,” the official said.

D.I. Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts in southern Khy­ber Pakhtunkhwa, has now reported eight polio cases.

Of the 59 cases reported so far this year, 26 are from Baloch­istan, 16 from KP, 15 from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

The Pakistan Polio Pro­gramme conducts multiple mass vaccination drives annually, delivering the vaccine directly to children at their doorsteps.

Additionally, the Expan­ded Programme on Immu­nisation offers vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.

The next mass vaccination campaign is scheduled for mid-December, aiming to reach over 44 million children with the vaccine. Given the ongoing polio outbreak, it is crucial for parents to ensure that all their children under the age of five are vaccinated to protect them from the disease.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024