Balochistan reports another polio case

QUETTA: Another polio case has been reported in Balochistan, taking the tally to 15 in the current ongoing year, citing sources within Health department, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The case was reported in Chaman, where a 17-month-old girl was confirmed with the virus. Her samples were collected on June 5 and 6.

Sources said that the parents of the affected girl were reluctant from administering anti-polio drops to their child.

Last week, the federal government had decided to launch a special anti-polio immunization campaign after the country so far recorded 58 cases of the disabling disease during the ongoing year, ARY News reported, citing sources.

According to sources, the immunization campaign would be launched in four provinces of the country, especially in the areas that have reported rising polio cases.

“The campaign is titled as targeted response campaign and would begin from July 20,” sources in the national health department said.

It is pertinent to mention here that on June 11, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Microsoft Founder and Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates discussed the anti-polio drive in Pakistan during a telephonic conversation, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) said.