Daily Times

In a worrying development, Pakistan’s poliovirus tally has reached 55 after three more children were diagnosed with the crippling disease, sources told the media on Sunday.

As per details, two new polio cases have been reported in Balochistan whereas one child has been affected by the virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bringing the provinces’ total to 26 and 14, respectively.

Confirming the new cases in Balochistan, the health department has said that one polio case was reported from Districts Zhob and Jaffarabad each.

District Zhob has now reported three, whereas District Jaffarabad’s tally stands at two polio cases in the ongoing year, added the health department.

Balochistan has reported the highest number of poliovirus cases in 2024 followed by KP. Sindh has reported 13 cases, whereas Punjab and Islamabad have each reported one case of polio this year.

The fresh cases come as Pakistan remains one of the last two countries in the world where the wild poliovirus continues to spread.

This persistence is largely attributed to obstacles such as insecurity, misinformation, and community reluctance, which hinder vaccination efforts.

The highly contagious viral disease predominantly affects children under five, particularly those with weak immunity or inadequate vaccination. Health authorities have time and again underscored the importance of vaccination campaigns to curb the spread of this preventable disease, which remains a significant public health challenge in the country.