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- This is the third case of polio virus reported in Sindh this year
- 12 cases have been reported in Balochistan and one in Punjab
ISLAMABAD: A 29-month-old child has been paralyzed by poliovirus in Pakistan鈥檚 southern Sindh province, health authorities said on Friday, bringing the total number of cases detected in the South Asian nation this year to 16.
The regional reference lab at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the virus in the child belonging to Sindh鈥檚 Hyderabad district, according to the country鈥檚 polio eradication program.
Out of the 16 cases reported this year, 12 are from Balochistan, three from Sindh and one from the eastern Punjab province, with 62 districts affected in total.
鈥淵et again the poliovirus has found a vulnerable child and paralyzed her for life,鈥� Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister鈥檚 focal person on polio eradication said on Friday. 鈥淭his is a clear reminder that until we eradicate this virus from our country, no child anywhere is safe from its devastating effects.鈥�
She said the WPV1 virus was consistently being reported in the district鈥檚 sewage samples for the last four months, putting the lives of children at risk.
鈥淲e are operating on an emergency footing in all provinces given the intensity of the outbreak and extent of virus spread,鈥� she said, adding that authorities were launching an extensive polio vaccination campaign from September 9.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, said a thorough investigation was being conducted to identify the origins of the virus and immunization of children.
鈥淧oliovirus has been circulating in adjacent districts of Karachi and Hyderabad for several months,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very child鈥檚 wellbeing is important to us, and we will be launching a vaccination campaign in all affected districts from September 9 to boost children鈥檚 immunity.鈥�
Polio has been eliminated in developed nations but persists in parts of India, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Many Pakistanis, particularly those residing in the conservative tribal areas, consider polio vaccination a Western campaign aimed at sterilizing the country鈥檚 population. In 2012, the local Taliban had ordered a ban on immunization against polio in some tribal districts.
Nearly a dozen policemen have been killed this year while on security duty during vaccination campaigns which are frequently targeted by militants.