Pakistan’s Battle Against Polio: New Case in Balochistan’s Chagai District
On October 31, a new polio case was reported in the Chagai district of Balochistan, Pakistan, raising the national count for 2024 to 43 cases. Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the last countries where polio is still endemic. This is largely due to attacks on vaccination teams by militants, which hinder eradication efforts.
To combat the virus, Pakistan launched a week-long vaccination drive on Monday, aiming to immunize over 45 million children under five. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed the 43rd Wild Poliovirus Type-1 case in the country. This marks the first polio case in Chagai district.
Balochistan is the most affected region with 22 cases, followed by Sindh with 12, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 7, and both Punjab and Islamabad with one case each. Genetic sequencing is being conducted to trace the virus’s origin and transmission pathways.
This recent case follows a 29-month-old girl’s diagnosis in Nowshera and another case in Balochistan’s Loralai district. On October 24, World Polio Day, Pakistan’s case count was at 40. The ongoing struggle against polio continues as officials work to protect future generations from its effects.
Doubts Revealed
Polio -: Polio is a disease caused by a virus that can make people very sick, sometimes causing paralysis. It mostly affects children under five years old.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is a province in Pakistan. It is one of the areas where polio cases are still being found.
Chagai District -: Chagai District is a part of Balochistan in Pakistan. It is where the new polio case was reported.
Endemic -: Endemic means a disease that is regularly found and common in a certain area. In this case, polio is still common in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Militant attacks -: Militant attacks refer to violent actions by groups who oppose the government or certain activities, like vaccination. These attacks have made it hard to vaccinate children against polio.
Vaccination teams -: Vaccination teams are groups of people who go around giving vaccines to protect children from diseases like polio.
Genetic sequencing -: Genetic sequencing is a scientific method used to find out the exact order of DNA in a virus. This helps scientists understand where the virus came from.