Polio Cases Detected in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
In Islamabad, Pakistan, the regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health announced the detection of wild poliovirus type-1 in four children. These cases include a girl from Pishin, two boys from Chaman and Noshki in Balochistan, and a girl from Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This brings the total number of polio cases in Pakistan to 37 this year.
Of these cases, 20 were reported in Balochistan, 10 in Sindh, five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad. Genetic sequencing of the cases is currently underway. The cases from Noshki and Lakki Marwat are the first reported this year, while Chaman and Pishin had previously reported one case each.
The fight against polio in Balochistan and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced challenges due to local protests, insecurity, and community boycotts, affecting immunization campaigns. Noshki, located near the Afghanistan border, has shown positive environmental samples for the virus, indicating circulation. Lakki Marwat has also reported multiple positive samples.
A nationwide polio vaccination campaign is set to begin on October 28, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children under five years old against polio.
Doubts Revealed
Polio -: Polio is a disease caused by a virus that can make people very sick, especially children. It can lead to paralysis, which means you can’t move parts of your body.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is a province in Pakistan. It’s one of the areas where polio cases have been found.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is another province in Pakistan. It is also affected by polio cases.
Wild poliovirus type-1 -: Wild poliovirus type-1 is a type of virus that causes polio. It’s called ‘wild’ because it occurs naturally, not from a vaccine.
Immunization -: Immunization is a way to protect people from diseases by giving them a vaccine. It helps the body fight off the disease if they come into contact with it.
Vaccination campaign -: A vaccination campaign is an organized effort to give vaccines to many people, especially children, to protect them from diseases like polio.
Protests and insecurity -: Protests are when people gather to show they are unhappy about something. Insecurity means it’s not safe. Both can make it hard for health workers to give vaccines to children.
