Tally rises to 26 as two more polio cases surface in Sindh

Two more cases of poliovirus have been reported in Sindh, bringing the sum of paralysed children to 26 this year in the country.

According to an official of the region reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, the cases were confirmed in district East Karachi and Sujawal of Sindh.

“This marks the first case reported this year in both districts,” said the official.

He added that this year, seven cases were reported in Sindh, including two in Keamari district and two in Hyderabad and Shikarpur, district East, and district Sujawal, each reporting one case.

A seven-year-old girl was paralysed by the poliovirus in the port city, while another 12-month-old boy was diagnosed with the virus in Tehsil Jati of Sujawal.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, expressed concern over the increasing number of poliovirus.

“There is no treatment for poliovirus once a child becomes paralysed. I urge all parents, caretakers, teachers, community elders and neighbours to understand the urgency of the situation and take immediate measures to get all children vaccinated immediately,” she said.

Ms Ayesha said once a child is affected with the virus, hundreds of children around them enter in a silent threat. 

"No child in Pakistan is safe until all children are repeatedly vaccinated for poliovirus.”

The campaign against the virus is being conducted in all provinces under the ‘strategic roadmap’ to interrupt the transmission by mid-2025. The programme especially covered high-risk areas.

A mass vaccination campaign concluded last month and successfully vaccinated 33 million children in the 115 districts while another nationwide campaign will be started from October 28.