Pakistan reports fifth polio case of 2024

ISLAMABAD: 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 citing sources.

According to sources, the latest case is a two-year-old child from Quetta, Balochistan, who tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

The National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the fifth polio case reported in Pakistan this year.

This is the fifth polio case in 2024 as Pakistan had earlier reported four cases. One case was from Sindh whereas the three cases reported were from Balochistan.

The country 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.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working with Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only two countries where polio is still endemic, to implement a synchronized polio vaccination campaign