17th polio case detected in Pakistan before nationwide drive

                                         
IV Report  

KARACHI: Ahead of a massive oral polio vaccination drive from September 9, Pakistan reported its 17^th confirmed polio case for 2024, with detection of paralysis in an eight-year old boy located in a village of the capital city, Islamabad, on September 6.

According to health authorities, the virus detected in the boy genetically matched with an imported cluster (YB3A) which was detected in sewage samples collected about four months back in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Last time, Lakki Marwat reported two of the 19 cases of the province in 2022, following 12 cases in 2020 and 32 cases in 2019.

The designated national diagnostic laboratory has declared three samples from the contacts of the latest infected child negative for polio virus.

The in question child’s family is reportedly permanent residents of Lakki Marwat, with father, a truck driver, living in Islamabad, where the child, with a travelling history had arrived on July 1. The boy was diagnosed with Acute Flacid Paralysis (AFP), a condition characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis, after experiencing a left leg trauma.

When the child was eligible for oral polio drop administration, he used to get that during anti-polio campaigns, up to the age of five years, the father shared with the official disease surveillance team on August 21.

Independent observers highlighted the need for increased monitoring of travelers coming to the capital city and delivery of OPV to children at the entry points.

Islamabad district, a capital territory, has reported its first polio case of 2024, after a gap six years.

Meanwhile, the country’s polio programme is launching targeted vaccination of 33 million children in 115 districts, including those where the virus has been detected, according to the National Emergency Operation Centre.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) expressed concern over the recent polio case detection, citing its alarming impact on children's health.

PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro urged intensified vaccination efforts and public awareness campaigns to combat the growing polio threat.

The PMA has appealed to the government, healthcare providers, and the public to prioritise polio eradication, ensuring every child receives necessary vaccinations to prevent virus spread.