As the authorities continue to struggle to wipe out poliovirus from the country, Islamabad on Friday reported its first case of the crippling disease in 16 years, taking Pakistan’s tally to 17 this year.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health, the 17th case of 2024 was reported from the federal capital when a child from Union Council Rural 4 of Islamabad was paralysed by type 1 (WPV1) of the viral disease.
The environmental samples from the capital city and neighboring Rawalpindi district have been positive for WPV1 since June, underscoring the persistent threat of polio to children’s well-being.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq said, ” From September 9 onwards, polio teams will go house-to-house in 115 districts to vaccinate more than 33 million children under five,” she said. “This virus does not discriminate. Wherever it finds a child with weak immunity, it will attack. Parents must understand the urgency of ensuring that their children receive polio drops and are up to date on their routine immunisation.”
