PESHAWAR (APP): The first case of polio has been reported in Pakistan after 15 months in the year 2022 wherein it is the third one case reported from all over the world.
It is worth mentioning here that on April 22, 2022, the Pakistan National Polio Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health confirmed the polio case from North Waziristan. The Pakistan Polio Laboratory also confirmed the virus in environmental samples from Bannu on April 5. The case was reported from Qila Abdullah Balochistan in Pakistan on January 27 last year.
Secretary Health National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division, Amir Ashraf Khawjah said, “The reporting of the case is a matter of concern for children and it is undoubtedly a major blow to the efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan and around the world.” “We are disappointed with the reporting of the case but we are determined,” he said, adding “The case has been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the virus was identified from environmental samples and emergency measures have already been taken in this connection”.
Amir Ashraf Khawjah, Secretary Health said, “Teams have been deployed at the National and Provincial Emergency Operations Centers to thoroughly investigate the case and on an emergency basis campaigns are being launched to prevent further spread of the virus.”
In the last quarter of 2021, after the virus was reported from environmental samples from southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the program declared it susceptible to polio virus. The virus has been confirmed in environmental samples from Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr. Shehzad Baig, Coordinator, National Emergency Operations Center, said that the presence of the virus in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been confirmed, indicating that every child must have access to the vaccine.
Dr. Shehzad Baig said that the government and its global partners have already been working on a strategy to address the challenges facing the country so that the virus can be completely eradicated.
In the year 2020, 22 cases were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while no case was reported from the province last year, he informed.
He said, effective strategies have been put in place to make the campaigns a success, but there are still some issues, including security. He said, despite these difficulties, our brave front line workers are making vaccines accessible to children.
He said, type 1 and 2 polio viruses have been eradicated from the world, while WPV1 has undergone a historic decline. This year, he said, one case has been reported from Afghanistan and another from Malawi.
The program will continue its full efforts for the complete eradication of the virus. Parents must vaccinate their children against polio in every campaign, he said.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are two countries in the world where the polio virus is still present, he informed. He said until the virus is completely eradicated, children will be at risk from the virus. About the case he said, Muhammad Salih, s/o Ihsan Uddin, age 15months, sex male of village Essori, Near Patasi Adda, Tehsil Mir Ali, District North Waziristan.
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