Poliovirus cripples two more children, this year's tally rises to 41

ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Sunday confirmed two new polio cases in the country, raising the total number of children affected by the crippling disease this year to 41, ARY News reported.

It said one case each was reported from Sindh and Balochitan.

A fourteen-month old male has been affected by the virus in Ahmedpur union council of Sindh’s Khairpur district. Whereas, an eight-month male was diagnosed with the disease in Bazar e Kona union council in Pishin district of Balochistan.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt an unprecedented blow to the world’s battle against polio, the head of the global organisation to combat the disease had told AFP earlier this month after it suspended vaccination campaigns for the first time in three decades.

With the coronavirus marching swiftly across the world and nations imposing strict travel restrictions to slow its spread, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has announced that its health workers cannot continue their immunisation drives — and warned this risks a resurgence of the poliovirus.

“We’re devastated by the fact that we have to stop the activities for a disease that we were working so hard to eradicate,” said the World Health Organisation’s Michel Zaffran, who heads GPEI.