Pakistan Reports 22nd Polio Case: Ayesha Raza Farooq and Muhammad Anwarul Haq Urge Vaccination
Pakistan has reported another case of polio, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 22 for the year 2024. The latest case involves a 30-month-old boy from Pishin, Balochistan. The National Institute of Health’s regional reference laboratory for polio eradication confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in the child.
Polio Cases Breakdown:
| Region | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| Balochistan | 15 |
| Sindh | 4 |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) | 1 |
| Punjab | 1 |
| Islamabad | 1 |
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, expressed deep concern over the rising number of polio cases. She emphasized the crucial role parents play in protecting their children’s health through timely and repeated vaccination. “Each case represents a child whose life has been tragically and unnecessarily affected by polio. The only solution is timely and repeated vaccination,” she said.
In response to the outbreak, the government has revised its National Polio Eradication Emergency Operations Plan to address critical gaps in access, campaign quality, and vaccine acceptance. Two large-scale, door-to-door vaccination campaigns are scheduled for later this year.
Muhammad Anwarul Haq, the National Coordinator for the Polio Emergency Operations Centre, stressed the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates. “Every new case is a tragic reminder of what happens when there are gaps in immunity. When a child misses vaccination, the virus wins. Let’s work together to protect our children and put a stop to the virus,” he said. He urged parents to welcome polio teams into their homes to ensure their children’s health and well-being.
Doubts Revealed
Polio -: Polio is a disease caused by a virus that can make people very sick and sometimes unable to move their muscles. It mostly affects children.
Pishin, Balochistan -: Pishin is a place in Balochistan, which is a province in Pakistan. It’s like a state in India.
National Institute of Health -: The National Institute of Health is a big organization in Pakistan that helps keep people healthy by studying diseases and finding ways to stop them.
Wild poliovirus type 1 -: Wild poliovirus type 1 is a type of virus that causes polio. It’s called ‘wild’ because it spreads naturally, not from vaccines.
Ayesha Raza Farooq -: Ayesha Raza Farooq is a person who works with the Prime Minister of Pakistan to help stop polio in the country.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication -: This is a special job where someone helps the Prime Minister make sure that polio is stopped in the country.
Muhammad Anwarul Haq -: Muhammad Anwarul Haq is a person who helps coordinate efforts to stop polio in Pakistan.
National Coordinator for the Polio Emergency Operations Centre -: This is a job where someone helps organize and manage the work to stop polio quickly and effectively.
Vaccination -: Vaccination is when doctors give you a small amount of a virus or bacteria so your body can learn to fight it and keep you healthy.
National Polio Eradication Emergency Operations Plan -: This is a big plan made by the government to make sure everyone works together to stop polio.
Vaccination campaigns -: These are big efforts where many doctors and nurses give vaccines to lots of people to protect them from diseases like polio.