Pakistan reports fifth polio case of 2024

A new case of polio has been reported in Pakistan, bringing the total number of cases in the country to five in 2024, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing health sources.

According to sources, the latest case is a 18-month-old child from Qila Abdullah, Balochistan, who tested positive for poliovirus.

This is the fifth polio case in 2024 as Pakistan had earlier reported four cases.

Pakistan reported six polio cases last year, with four from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Karachi.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis, disability, and even death. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent polio, and Pakistan has been working to vaccinate millions of children under the age of five to prevent the spread of the disease.

Read more: PM Shehbaz expresses resolve for polio-free Pakistan

On Monday, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that the Pakistan government along with all the provincial governments resolved to eliminate the menace of Polio forever and said that they were fully committed to control its spread through collective efforts.

Addressing a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication, the prime minister said that the polio eradication campaign in the country was progressing positively and they were close to eliminate polio but unfortunately, things turned negative as the virus returned back in certain parts of Pakistan, still it did not show that they had failed in their efforts.