Pakistan reported another polio case, bringing Balochistan’s total to 24 cases this year, with the latest case emerging from Jafarabad. This surge has raised significant concerns over the virus’s transmission in the region.
International organizations have expressed alarm over the rise in Pakistan’s polio cases and urged the government to take immediate measures. Sources confirm that Pakistan has assured global health bodies of taking swift action to control the spread. Representatives from these organizations are expected to visit Pakistan later this month to assess the situation and support eradication efforts.
Earlier, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, confirmed the detection of Pakistan’s 48th Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) case this year. This case involved a male child from DI Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a polio-endemic district. So far, Pakistan has reported 48 WPV1 cases nationwide in 2024, with 23 from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 10 from KP, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
The recent surge underscores Pakistan’s ongoing struggle with polio eradication and highlights the urgency for enhanced measures to curb virus transmission.
