Balochistan [Pakistan], November 7 : The 46th polio case in Pakistan was detected on Tuesday from the Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan, bringing the national tally for 2024 to 46 cases.
This case marks the second reported Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) incidence in Qila Saifullah this year, underscoring Balochistan as the most affected province. The Dawn reported that Pakistan has recorded 23 polio cases in Balochistan, 12 in Sindh, nine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
An official of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad confirmed to Dawn that the case had been discovered in a boy. He said, "The genetic sequencing of the sample collected from the child is underway." He further added, "Balochistan is the most affected province this year," due to the protests and attacks by militants on vaccination teams in the province in previous months.
The presence of WPV1 in multiple sewage samples from Qila Saifullah confirms the virus's persistence in the area. Positive sewage samples are a key indicator for tracking poliovirus, along with recorded cases. Positive samples were also found last week in Noshki, Balochistan, and Mianwali, Punjab, regions that were previously unaffected, indicating the virus's expansion into new territories, Dawn reported.
The official of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication told the Dawn, "This high number of cases is indicative of the harm that children suffer from missed vaccination opportunities".
Officials also noted that missed vaccination opportunities heighten the risk of infection among children, leading to an increase in reported cases. In November alone, three new cases have been recorded across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Efforts to eradicate polio continue, but the high incidence of cases this year highlights significant hurdles in reaching vulnerable populations, particularly in areas facing security issues and limited healthcare access.