ISLAMABAD — The number of polio cases in Balochistan has risen sharply this year, with two additional children recently paralysed by the virus. This brings the total number of cases in the province to 11 for the year, highlighting a concerning upward trend.
Officials from the Polio Programme attribute the increase in cases to ongoing protests and security challenges in Balochistan, which have disrupted vaccination campaigns in several districts. This disruption has left many children vulnerable to the debilitating disease.
Recent reports confirm that wild poliovirus (WPV1) has been detected in environmental samples from Khuzdar, in addition to seven other previously positive districts. The total number of districts affected by the virus now stands at 57.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has identified new polio cases in Patri union council of Jhal Magsi, where a three-year-old child has been infected. Another case has been reported in Maizai union council of Killa Abdullah, involving a 1.5-year-old child. Genetic sequencing is underway to further investigate the strains of the virus involved.
Polio Programme officials noted that the Jhal Magsi case is linked to a virus previously detected in Usta Muhammad in July. The current year’s polio case count has already doubled compared to the six cases reported last year, despite five months remaining in the current year.
In 2021, the situation was markedly better, with only one reported case of polio, largely confined to a few tribal districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, recent setbacks and poor decisions have led to a resurgence of the virus across the country.
Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, lamented the impact of polio on the affected children, underscoring the lifelong consequences of the disease.
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, reported that over 50 districts have been affected by the virus this year, with Balochistan experiencing a significant outbreak, recording nine cases across six districts.
Retired Captain Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, emphasized that local protests and insecurity have severely hampered polio vaccination efforts in Balochistan, exacerbating the risk of further outbreaks.
The situation calls for renewed efforts and stability to combat the spread of polio and protect the health of vulnerable children across the region.
