ISLAMABAD: Environ­mental samples collected from 21 districts have confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in those areas.

The samples were collec­ted from Muzaffarabad, Dera Bugti, Hub, Khuzdar, Noshki, Nasirabad, Usta Moh­ammad, Zhob, Las­bela, Islamabad, Charsa­dda, Peshawar, Swabi, Tank, Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan, Jhang, Lahore, Multan, Rahimyar Khan and Karachi East, according to an official of the Regional Reference Labo­r­atory for Polio Eradi­cation at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Last week, environmental samples from 26 tested positive for WPV1.

Positive sewage samples indicate the presence of pol­i­ovirus in the area, putting children at risk of contracting the crippling disease.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanis­tan, where polio remains endemic.

According to officials, Pakistan has been res­ponding to a “significant re­­­surgence of WPV1”.

“Last year, the country reported 73 cases of the disease. Of these, 27 are from Ba­­lochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, 22 from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islam­abad,” he added.

Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

This year’s first nationwide polio vaccination campaign, which started earlier this week, will end tomorrow (Monday).

Last month, global experts and organisations working on polio eradication met federal and provincial government officials in Islam­abad to review the eradication programme.

The three-day meeting of the Technical Advisory Group brought together experts from the WHO, Unicef, CDC, Gates Foundation, Rotary International, Gavi, and USAID, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.

The meeting reiterated the commitment to polio eradication. It said adequate supp­ort for polio teams and full immunisation coverage, especially in the most affected areas, were crucial to eradicating polio in 2025.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2025