ISLAMABAD: Two new polio cases were reported in the country on Thursday, ARY News reported.
According to prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication, Babar Bin Atta, the first case was reported in a four-month-old girl in Hangu, while another case was detected in an eight-month-old boy in Lahore’s Shalimar Town area.
He said a total of four cases of polio had been reported in the ongoing year.
Read: Second polio case of year-2019 surfaced in KP
Atta said the Punjab government’s health minister had been informed about new polio case.
As I had already predicted on 2nd Feb, Lahore has, unfortunately reported its first Polio Case after 08 years from Shalamar Town. I have informed the Health Minister @Dr_YasminRashid & will be spending the next few days in Lahore to deliberate on what led to such a setback. pic.twitter.com/uLQqgccwKf
— Babar Atta (@babarbinatta) February 14, 2019
While announcing to soon pay a visit to Punjab, he said the teams would investigate the root causes of new cases of the crippling disease. Any official in the anti-polio teams found responsible will face strict action, he added.
He vowed to unveil the government strategy on anti-polio.
The surge in the number of polio cases has set the alarm bells ringing as Pakistan is on the verge of eradicating the crippling disease that has paralysed hundreds of children in the country.
Though concerted efforts are being made to interrupt the transmission of the poliovirus, it is still circulating in the environment, pointing to the gaps in the programme.
Earlier, the first polio case of the year 2019 had been reported from Bajour district on February 2, according to Focal Person to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Polio Eradication Babar Atta.
“Sad News: The ongoing active virus circulation in Bajour Tribal District has paralysed yet another child as Pakistan reports its 1st polio case of 2019 from Khar. The child is 11 months old. Bajour has now reported 6 polio cases alone during the last 3 months,” he tweeted.
